Dark Waltz: The First Movement
by magicafan1989
Summary: We're all prisoners to history's design. As stones shaped by the sculptor, we are made who and how we are by history. Co-authored with Ghost Writer Orange-kun. Alternate Universe. Negi x Eva, Chizuru x OC, Mild KonoSetsu.
1. Prologue

What you are about to read is the result of a vicious plot bunny attack. For those of you who are following Requiem for a Dream, I apologize profusely for making you wait for so long, but I have had little to no motivation to write it. As of this moment, while the ideas are still fresh, this story will take priority, with updates to Requiem coming as I flesh them out. For now, enjoy the tale of the Dark Waltz.

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Mahou Sensei Negima in any phsyical way, shape, or form. All rights belong to their respective proprietors. I only own Horacio Valdez de la Cuesta and any other Original Characters that appear.

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><p>Prologue<p>

_How could anyone even entreat the notion to abide in such a residence?_

The young girl looked up at the ruins standing before her. The monstrous structure had obviously seen better days. Ivy choked the walls and iron fencing that once kept unwanted guests out. The entrance to the building laid open for any to enter, though those who went in never came out alive. Sniffing the air gingerly, her heightened sense of smell betrayed the prevalent stench of death.

_But, I suppose measures must be taken to ensure the mortals stay their distance… maybe with the exception of the occasional vampire hunter attempting to make a name for themselves._

Though she'd rather be in the hospice of a much warmer environment, she counted herself lucky. After all, it was very rarely that anyone would be invited by the great Count himself, especially for those who dared to call themselves Purebloods.

The thought made girl scoff. It appalled her to no end how those who were not born of the blood dared to call themselves pure of blood when they were born of conventional means. Perhaps it was more a convenience to refer to such individuals as Purebloods, for even those of that distinction knew to avoid crossing paths with those of who were truly pure of the blood.

So wrapped in her thoughts she had become that she had failed to recognize the fact that two heavily armoured guards materialized. Each bore a pike and crossed them in front of her path, thus barring her entrance into the castle.

"_Speak thy name and thy __p__urpose here_," the first of the two spoke in the local tongue, his voice as cold as the blood that ran through him.

"_Thou dare to__ address the Lady Evangeline Athanasia Katherine McDowell of Galloway with such impudence?_" the girl replied in the same, her voice colder than ice,_ "__I have embarked to this location on a personal invitation from His Eminence, the most noble Count Dracula. 'Twould do thee well to inform thy master of my arrival._"

The guard's demeanor seemed to change upon hearing the name of the young girl. Bowing deeply, he replied, "_I prithee forgiveness, for this humble soldier of fortune did not recognize th__y __visage. 'Tis a great honor of mine to welcome the noble _Maga Nosferatu_ to Castle Dracula. Please, tarry for a moment, and I shall inform our lord that thou hast arrived_."

Returning the bow, Evangeline watched with disgust as the young guard leave. If there was one thing she hated, it was being talked to in such a manner. The guard, she knew, was young, but at least he knew his place and who to show respect to. She had gained a name for herself throughout the mainland of the continent. Not only was she one of the Shinso vampires, but she was also versed in the art of magic, something very rarely seen amongst her fellow vampires, both Shinso and Pureblood alike.

She smirked as she relished in the memories of many a vampire killer begging for mercy. But she did not kill them by conventional means. No… she was unlike her brethren. Her magic power more than sustained her in times where blood was lacking. Not only that, but it made for some vast entertainment when she dealt with vampire killers. The one thing she regretted about her immortality was living her life in hiding. After all, if she dared show herself to any that she had encountered years earlier, they would figure what she was and undoubtedly hunt her.

Her recollections were disturbed when the guard returned.

"_Our Count requests __thy __presence in the Grand Hall. Shall I escort Milady there?_"

"_I shall find my own way,_" she replied, waving off the request, not even bothering to thank the guard. After all, she didn't earn her reputation by being grateful.

As she entered the foyer at the castle entrance, the hostile environment became much warmer, undoubtedly caused by illusory magic. She stood in awe and admiration at the mere majesty of the castle. Even when she was mortal, the castle she had lived in wasn't this grand, not that she could remember much about her childhood.

_300 years… It seems 'twas naught more than yesterday…_

She strode up to one of the works of art that adorned the walls. Upon closer examination, she noticed the eyes of the woman's portrait followed her every movement. Upon instinct, she raised her hand and prepared to cast an incantation when a voice called out, "I would take great care if I were thee, _ni__ñ__ita_. 'Twould greatly upset the Count if he or his porters were to discover that one of his prized possessions was damaged so recklessly."

The young vampire turned to see a man with a thin, pointed moustache and goatee. A rare smile crept across her face as she walked forward, embracing the newcomer.

"Many an age has passed since I have laid eyes on thee, _Don_ Horacio Valdez de la Cuesta."

The Spaniard smiled the same, kneeling down and kissing Evangeline on each cheek.

"Indeed, young Eva. I presume that life has been treating thee with the utmost care, my young apprentice. The trees whisper of your great infamy amongst our brethren inasmuch as that you have surpassed many in power."

"Indeed I have," the vampire smirked, "Would it please thee to see a demonstration?"

"Nay, nay. I see no need for such an action," Horacio replied, waving his hands disarmingly, "The power of magic that emanates from thee is quite alarming. I have no doubt that thou could render me asunder in not but an instance of time."

"And I shall do no such thing. After all, thou art my mentor. 'Tis thanks to thee that I have achieved all that I have in the time that we have been acquainted."

"Ahem!"

The two vampires turned their attention to a stately looking vampire dressed in the garb of a Venetian servant. Said vampire proceeded toward the teacher and student.

"_Buongiorno_, and welcome to Castle Dracula. If ye would be of courtesy and follow. My master awaits your presence."

Some few moments later, Evangeline found herself within the Grand Hall of Castle Dracula. She noted that it was extremely grandiose, much more than the places she had resided within the past three centuries. An assortment of vampires of different heritages and ages intermingled, all making light conversation. She scanned the crowd, seeing if she could pick out the master of the castle. Her eyes, however fell upon a certain individual that had dared to cross paths with her many a time. The individual in question turned toward her, his cold grey eyes appraising her sharp blue ones. Rather than react at her presence, he merely nodded curtly and proceeded to disappear into the crowd.

_What in the name of God brings that man to this place?_

Casting aside her thoughts, she continued to scan the crowd until she noticed a boy about her age (had she still been mortal) who was looking extremely nervous and out of place. Although the smell of death was extremely overpowering, she cast a small incantation which allowed her to isolate the scent of the boy.

She deduced that he had to be no more than 200 years of age since being turned, undoubtedly by the same method as she had been. In this respect, she felt some pity for the young soul, but at least she now had someone to relate to. His hair was a strange two-tone with the upper-half a reddish-brown color and the lower half being black. He wore simple garb, betraying he was a peasant and not of nobility much like the majority of the vampires present.

Seeing as she had no one else to talk to, she made her way to the boy. Dropping her cold demeanor and icy voice, she greeted him in asking, "Art thou lost, little one?"

The boy turned to her, his cheeks turning a slight crimson color as he admired the beauty before him. Evangeline was wearing a pearl white gown that seemed to shimmer in the candlelight. Her long blonde hair reminded him of the Golden Fleece that was only told of in the mythos of the Ancient Greeks, whilst her deep blue eyes blazed more brilliantly than the rarest sapphire in the world.

"I suppose that I am out of my element," he replied, regaining his composure, "seeing as it is my first time being in an abode as noble and decorated as this one."

"Then we are kindred spirits in like ways," she replied, extending her hand in greeting. "May I have the pleasure of thy name?"

Before the boy could reply, a call for silence came as the master of the castle came into the Grand Hall. Count Dracula was everything that Evangeline had assumed he would be. Carrying an air of great power and influence, his silvering hair, pointed moustache, and pointed goatee betrayed his age. He wore robes befitting a nobleman of early 13th century Transylvania. His smile was warm, yet it carried a sinister edge to it.

"Welcome," he said, his thick accent accentuating his every word, "brethren, to my abode most humble. I prithee forgiveness for my tardiness as there are matters most important one must attend to at the most inconvenient of times. But, seeing as we are all well acquainted, let us make merry and light of this evening so fine!"

At this, he clapped his hands together, causing some instruments to materialize and play of their own accord. The young vampire turned to Evangeline and bowed low.

"May I have the pleasure of this dance, Milady?"

Blushing slightly, she took his hand and replied, "Most certainly, Milord."

With that, the two began to dance to the melody: a slow, somber waltz that carried a hint of bittersweet memories and sadness rolled into one. As the young vampires danced, Evangeline could feel some of her lost humanity carry on back through the wordless song. Perhaps it was destiny that brought her to meet this boy. Though she was slightly taller, she let her head rest on his shoulder as they swayed back and forth to the slow tune. But how long would this moment of peace last?

Her answer would come sooner than she thought. Just as the melody ended, a loud crashing sound came from the main entrance of the hall. One of the two guards that had stood at the main gate rushed through the hall right up to Dracula. The stately vampire seemed a bit annoyed at this intrusion.

"_What is the meaning of this_?" he inquired irately.

"_I apologize for disturbing thee, Milord, but a vampire hunter has __managed to gain entrance i__nto the main grounds. The guard at the __mountain base__ came to us. Count Vladim and Countess Ursula, both of whom were Shinso, were unable to stop them and perished._"

This news seemed to spread like wildfire across all those in the hall. Before a panic broke out, Dracula raised his hands.

"Fear not, my brethren, for I shall not allow such an intruder to make a mockery of our race. I beseech thee, however, to make haste. 'Twould sadden me and make my soul heavy to be responsible for the deaths of those who are under my care. Go forth, and let the sacred night be thine guide."

As the numerous vampires began either to flee or disappear into the shadows, the boy handed Evangeline a small pendant inscribed with what appeared to be runic symbols. She blushed as a look of fierce determination crossed his features.

"Let this pendant be a symbol and a promise. No matter what happens this night, we shall meet again. If not, I will spend eternity scouring the ends of the earth to find thee."

After making his vow, he kissed her on the cheek and ran toward an exit, calling back to her, "Go! Now! And never turn back!"


	2. Of Greetings and Unusual Circumstances

I. Of Greetings and Unusual Circumstances

_Mahora District, Tokyo, Japan, 300 years later_

"Evangeline, are you awake?"

The young vampire stirred, her eyes heavy after being woken up.

"Chachamaru, what did I tell you about waking me when I'm in the middle of a restful sleep?"

"I'm sorry for having disturbed you, but I thought I'd let you know that we have class."

At this, Evangeline cursed inwardly. Though she was dearly fond of the young woman who resided with her, she often wondered why she took her in. She was kind and almost motherly, but she often reminded her of the one thing that she resented about being trapped where she was for the foreseeable future. Grousing as she got up, she called back, "I'll be ready within a few minutes."

Chachamaru Karakuri nodded a silent affirmation as she busied herself with getting her books and other materials ready. It was often at times like these that she reflected on her unusual circumstance. Her memories of the night she had received a new lease on life were stronger than anything else she could remember.

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><p><em>Five Years Ago<em>

"_Hi there cupcake. What's a pretty little thing like you doing out here at this time of night?"_

_The young woman turned as she saw a group of young men, probably not much older than she was, following her at a close distance. She could feel a cold ball form in her stomach. Something about these guys did not sit well with her._

"_Look," she replied, her nervous tone-of-voice apparent when she spoke, "Just leave me alone."_

"_Aw," one of the boys cooed derisively, "It looks like this babe is having a rough night."_

"_We can make you feel better if you wish," the apparent ringleader, a rather muscly looking fellow called out, striding toward her. Without second thought, she tore off toward the school campus, hoping that one of the security officers on the grounds would be in her immediate area. She had no need of looking back to know that they were following her._

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><p><em>There was one benefit to being trapped at a school: it served as an endless blood bank. Evangeline was very well of the fact that she was only increasing her imprisonment, but she was a vampire after all, and blood was her only source of food. Wishing she could use her magic powers was futile. After all, a dual-layered barrier that covered the entire campus greatly inhibited her power. This, in turn, caused her to become very much a mortal in times when her blood supply was lacking. She needed fresh blood from a new victim.<em>

_As she stepped out of the cottage she called home, she heard a weak voice call out, "Help me… please…"_

_The vampire took very little time in locating the source. She came upon a mortal girl of about fifteen years of age. Her hair was dyed a light-green color with matching eyes, probably from the contraption they called contact lenses. The girl's clothing was in tatters, her skin covered in lacerations and bruises. The smell about her meant only one thing: this girl had been the victim of rape. Normally, she wouldn't bother with such matters, but Evangeline felt her anger and rage flare up inside. What was going on with her? She normally felt no such emotions, but the sight of the girl was awakening something in her. Who would be so sickening as to take advantage of a young woman like this?_

"_Help me… please…" the girl on the ground croaked out again._

_The vampire was in a bind. She desperately wanted to help the beaten, broken young woman, but her skill with healing magic was subpar. She knew she'd be able to heal the open wounds. However, if there were internal injuries, there was no way she could take care of them. By the young woman's looks and her state of well-being, she didn't have much time left. This left her with another conflict: she could turn the girl through conventional means, but that would curse her to a life she more than likely would not want to live. Even if she completed the ritual as it had been done to her so long ago, the result would inevitably be the same._

"_I… feel… cold… Please! Help…"_

_Evangeline knelt down to the dying girl. She knew what she was about to do was going to be a mistake, but her lost humanity came breaking through her. Cradling the girl's head in her lap, she whispered, "This may hurt, but it will help you."_

_The last thing the young woman remembered before blacking out was a sharp pain in her neck. Then, time seemed to stand still after that._

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><p>Chachamaru reflected on the events that occurred shortly after the incident. She had woken up inside the cottage as a burning sensation assaulted her throat. She remembered screaming for help and Evangeline coming up the stairs. The young vampire explained what she was, the burning in the young woman's throat, and what she would need to do in order to survive. Evangeline had then offered her arm with which Chachamaru had latched onto greedily, slaking her thirst for what would become her life source.<p>

Any normal person would consider her position a curse, but to the young woman, this curse was, in her eyes at least, a gift. Though Evangeline had attempted to persuade her to avenge herself, she declined, stating that those who did this to her would pay in due time. She had been an orphan living on the streets with nowhere to go, so that made her easy prey for the thugs that often haunted the side-streets and alleyways at night. Now, she had a place to call home and another soul to call a sister. Evangeline had originally balked at the very idea of being a sister but eventually warmed up and accepted the offer.

The only thing about the young vampire that troubled Chachamaru was her incessant need to feed on living victims. The latter had found a doctor in the Shinjuku District who operated a blood bank and was, in fact, a vampire much like themselves. Knowing of the former's history and state of imprisonment, he agreed to provide blood for both Chachamaru and Evangeline. Evangeline, however, refused to drink blood that came from a post mortem state. The green-haired vampire recalled it had something to do with the taste of the blood… at least that was what Evangeline's excuse was. Despite her amount of heavy protesting and due in part to Chachamaru's gentle reminders of her imprisonment, the young vampire had finally resigned herself to drinking the donated blood.

Turning her head, she saw the young vampire make her way down the stairs. She wore the school uniform of Mahora Academy Jr. High: a white dress shirt with a small red necktie and a maroon plaid skirt. A blazer of the same color as the skirt covered the dress with the emblem of the academy emblazoned on the left chest pocket.

"Let's just hope this day gets over with," the young vampire sighed, "The less time I have to spend around that insufferable warden, the better off I'll be."

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><p>"So, you are the new teacher who will be taking over Takahata's class from my understanding. Would I be correct?"<p>

The young boy nodded, fidgeting nervously under the gaze of the old man that sat before him. He had heard many things about Konoemon Konoe, dean of Mahora Academy. One was that he was a powerful mage who could kill a person at first glance. Another was that he was a perverted old man who took over the mostly all-girl's school for the sole purpose of being surrounded by beautiful women, among many of the other things. However, it wasn't any of these that made him nervous. It was the fact that he could feel a powerful barrier in place that seemed to severely inhibit his abilities, betraying the fact of what he was.

The dean, much to his surprise, laughed loudly.

"Ho, ho, ho! Don't be nervous, young man. I know what you are, but you have no need to fear me. I'm no vampire killer as long as you don't victimize any of the students here."

The vampire sighed with relief. At least he was safe for the time being.

"Very well, it seems that everything is in order. One of your students is waiting outside of the office to show you to the class. Here's a map that will show you how to get to your living arrangements. I hope you will find them most suitable as they are home to kindred spirits such as yourself."

Taking the map from the dean, the boy bowed deeply.

"Arigatō gozaimasu. I hope to live up to your expectations as a teacher."

Clapping his hands together, the dean replied, "That's the spirit. I'm sure you'll have much knowledge to teach these girls. After all, I am sure that you have had many incredible experiences in your long life."

Bowing deeply in respect again, the young boy walked out of the office and nearly straight into the young woman that had been standing outside of the office.

"Gomen nasai. I did not see you there."

He looked up so as to properly address the student… and balked in fear. This girl carried an aura of strong will and great power about her. Her long, red hair was tied back into twin ponytails, each bearing a set of bells on them. Her eyes were of different colors, one being green and the other blue. Bending down at the waist toward him, she spoke with a voice that said she meant serious business, her accent a strange cross between Japanese and Greek.

"I presume you are the new teacher? I know what you are, and I know what your kind can do. Let it be known that if you dare harm a hair on any of my classmates' heads, or on any innocent soul for that matter, there _will_ be hell to pay. Do I make myself clear?"

The young vampire nodded vigorously, replying, "Crystal clear!"

"Good," the young woman nodded. "The name's Asuna Entheofushia. I am student number eight in your class. If you'll follow me please."

This concerned the boy gravely. The Entheofushia family, a dynasty of vampire hunters hailing from Greece, had a long-standing notoriety with the vampire community that was only rivaled by the Belmont clan of Italy. The nervous feeling in his chest all but vanished as he came to grips with himself. His thoughts soon wandered back to one particular night some ages ago that he could barely recall. The only thing he remembered was that one girl that he had fallen hard over and formed an unbreakable bond in their waltz.

_I made a promise to her, and I intend to keep it. When I am through here, I will find you, even if I have to go to the inferno and come back._

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><p><strong>AN:** Some of you are probably wondering why I wrote Evangeline as hailing from the Galloway Barony of Scotland. I did some research on the McDowell (or MacDowall as it is more commonly spelled) and they had a castle at Galloway. Seeing as this is an alternate universe of sorts and that Evangeline's true origins are unknown of, I decided to give her a source of origin. I hope you enjoy my story so far. More to come as I make the time to write chapters (what with work and all...)


	3. Concering Pubescent Teenaged Girls

Why so few reviews? Anyhow, a heartfelt appreciation to **call911imbad** and **Animajunki1230 **for their reviews. I intend to keep this story going as long as the ideas are still fresh. And thank you to those who have favorited and subscrbed to Story Alert. I'll try not to let you down. For now, enjoy the latest installment of_ Dark Waltz_.

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><p>II. Concerning Pubescent Teenaged Girls<p>

Asuna Kagurazaka-Entheofushia often wondered what she did to deserve the post she was in. Ever since she could walk and wield a weapon, vigorous hours were spent training herself to follow in her father's footsteps. She honored her deceased mother by training in the ways of the magi, despite the fact she was a Magic Canceller. Many years were spent in honing her magic power so as to best her natural-born gift. She knew the ways of the most skilled vampire hunters and the many methods to besting them. After all, this was routine if she were to become the next successor to the Entheofushia dynasty of vampire hunters.

She felt as though all her training had gone to waste when she learned that she would attend Mahora Academy so as to be the warden to one of the most notorious magical criminals in the world, let alone the most notorious vampire to strike mainland Europe since the death of Dracula. Her father had tried to comfort her, telling her he was proud of her and that she would do the world a favor by keeping the _Maga Nosferatu_ in check.

But she was young. She craved the freedom and globe-trotting ways of her father's family. Now, she was stuck here until her university years playing jail keeper to a young girl. Two vampires were enough, but now there was a third which happened to be her homeroom teacher. She was itching to fight something, but she knew she had made an impression on the boy. Secretly, though, she prayed he would act up so she could put her training to good use.

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><p>"So, did you hear we've got a new homeroom teacher?"<p>

"What? Shut up! No way! Are you serious?"

"Like… totally serious about this one!"

"Whatever happened to Takahata-sensei?"

"Something about him having to take a leave or something… I dunno!"

If it wasn't the warden that got to Evangeline, it was the incessant chatter and gossip of pubescent teenage girls that drove her up the wall. No matter how much she resigned herself to the fact that she was in this kind of environment, it seemed to get worse and worse with each passing class. It bothered her to no end that the only thing these girls could ever talk about was the flavor of the lip gloss they were wearing that day, boyfriends, the latest manga chapter, their favorite anime episode… it drawled on and on. She wondered to herself why she hadn't asked the Entheofushia girl to finish her off so she could be spared the pity.

_Even if I did ask her to, she'd probably deny me even that privilege. I think she secretly delights in subjecting me to this despicable, unfathomable, loathsome torture day in and day out. I really need to get out of here!_

Absentmindedly, she started to toy with a pendant that was dangling around her neck. When she became aware of what she was doing, she looked back down at it. Feelings of nostalgia, remorse, and, perhaps, some sorrow came flooding back as she remembered that evening. She wondered whatever happened to that boy after that fateful evening. But as long as she had the pendant in her possession, she held onto the hope that he would come back to find her.

Her reminiscing was disturbed when she heard the door to the classroom slide open. A look of disgust crossed her face as the Entheofushia girl entered the room.

_And here I am, spending each passing day hoping that she falls sick with pneumonia or dies… why can't she just vanish off the face of this earth?_

The bells tolled, signaling the tardy warning. Almost immediately, everyone in the class quieted down and went to their seats. Shortly thereafter, the door slid open. Thirty pairs of eyes turned toward the door as a small boy entered the room. He wore a green suit over a white dress shirt and red necktie. A small set of spectacles sat perched on his nose. His hair was a rather strange two-tone, the upper half red and the lower half black, and tied back into a small ponytail.

At the sight of the boy, the feelings of nostalgia started assaulting the young vampire more.

_Is it… no… it couldn't be… could it?_

Though the smell betrayed that he was a vampire much like herself, she kept wrestling with her own doubts and memories in her mind. But when he spoke, all doubts were erased from her mind.

"Ohayō gozaimasu. My name is Negi Springfield, and I am to be your homeroom teacher for this year."

_It is him…_

Before he could speak any further, a shout of "Kawaii!" filled the classroom. Shortly thereafter, he was amassed by nearly every girl in the class, save for a few who knew how to control themselves or were in just plain shock that a young boy was their teacher. At this point, Asuna stood up and slammed her hand onto the table.

"Everyone, back to your seats!" she said sternly, "I don't think you want to kill your new teacher, do you?" She then said aside herself, "Leave me the pleasure of that deed."

One of the girls, a redhead with her hair done up in twin pigtails and ponytails, replied, "But Iinchō, we were just asking him some questions was all."

The vampire hunter rubbed her forehead before responding, "Shīna-san, everyone, just please do as I ask and return to your seats. After all, Springfield-sensei does have a class to teach."

Silently, and without protest, the girls that had flooded the front desk returned to their seats. Negi turned to Asuna and bowed, saying "Arigatō gozaimasu, Entheofushia-san. Now then ladies, there will be some time for questions after our lesson. So, if you will all turn to page twenty-five so we can begin."

The lesson, for the most part, was uneventful, except for the occasional scolding of a few of the girls by Asuna. Negi realized that she wasn't elected the Class President for nothing. In due time, the lesson finished, leaving about five minutes. The bespectacled vampire closed his book and said, "Okay ladies. As promised, I will now answer as many of your questions as I can within the five minutes we have left. When I point at you, please introduce yourself, any club activities you participate in, and then your question."

Most of the girls' hands went up, just as Negi had expected. He pointed at a girl with purple hair tied in large, twin ponytails and wearing a blank expression on her face. She stood up and spoke in a voice that accentuated her blank stare.

"Ayase Yue, member of the Library Expedition Club and a student Librarian. By your accent, I would presume you hail from the British Isles?"

Bowing in respect at the girl, he replied, "Hajimemashite Ayase-san. You are correct in your assumption. I'm from Tregaron, Wales." He then pointed at another girl, this one with her red hair tied back up into a spiked ponytail that reminded the vampire of a pineapple fruit. She introduced herself as "Asakura Kazumi" of the Journalism Club and student newspaper before proceeding to ask, "How did a ten-year-old such as yourself become a teacher here at an all-girls junior-high?"

The boy smiled disarmingly before responding, "That will be a tale for another time Asakura-san. If I answer that one, I'd take up more than the few minutes we have remaining."

The next girl, a Saotome Haruna, also of the Library Expedition Club, inquired, "How does it feel being all the way across the world, far from your home?"

"It's been interesting thus far, Saotome-san. I must say that it is quite the culture shock, but I think it will come to grow on me."

Before he could call on one of the other students, the bell tolled, signaling the end of the school day. As the girls filed out of the classroom, Negi called after them, "Okay ladies, I would like for you to read pages 30-33 and answer the questions for homework." This request was followed by a unified shout of "Hai, Negi-sensei."

As he proceeded to turn, he noticed two of the girls remaining behind. One of them had her hair dyed light green with matching eyes. The other seemed vaguely familiar to him. Her blonde hair shimmered in the sunlight whilst her fierce, blue eyes appraised him. Tears formed at the corner of her eyes, much to his surprise, as she walked toward him. She extended her hands forward and cupped them.

"I believe this is yours, Milord."

Negi's eyes turned downward and widened in shock at the item in the girl's hands. It was his pendant, the one he had given to the girl he had fallen head-over-heels in love with so long ago. Putting his hands over hers, he smiled, his eyes shining with a small layer of unshed tears.

"I made a promise, didn't I Milady?"

In that moment, the two embraced each other tightly, unwilling to let each other go. Though they had only met once centuries ago, it was his promise to her that had become the foundation for an inseparable bond and a rock of hope for the girl who had forsaken everything in her curse.

* * *

><p>"There can be no failure, understood?"<p>

The young woman nodded as she closed her cellphone. Her orders were strict: locate and destroy the_ Maga Nosferatu_ and any other vampires in the area as well. She knew the chances were in favor of the vampires, but she knew she had her family honor to uphold. Combing a hand through long, blonde hair, she said to her driver, "Take me to Mahora Academy. I will be enrolling there for the year."

_For the pride of my family, and for the better of our race, I will not fail._

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** "Tregaron, Wales? Whatever happened to Merdiana?" you might ask me. In this universe/timeline, Merdiana does not exist. While there are still magi and other such related things in existence, I've decided to make the origins of most of our characters real-world locations, with the exception of Mahora, of course. And Asuna as Class President? What of Ayaka? Well, I won't reveal too much, but it's all a part of my story. Stay tuned. Update to come as I work it around my work schedule.


	4. Requiem of a Lost Childhood

**call911imbad:** Here's the next chapter then. I hope you enjoy!

**Animajunki1230:** Here's a towel to clean up the mess. I don't think brains would be appealing when splattered all over a computer XD. Anyhow, after reading over the sudden kiss, I do have to agree it seemed a bit rush. So, I changed it to an embrace instead, which seemed to flow more evenly than the kiss. Thanks for pointing that out to me.

**A/N:** This chapter is a bit KonoSetsu-centric, but I felt it was needed so I could establish a few of the characters and their circumstances (since this an alternate universe after all). I hope you it is to your liking, so enjoy!

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Mahou Sensei Negima or any characters therein. All rights belong to their respective proprietors. I only own Horacio Valdez de la Cuesta.

* * *

><p>III. Requiem of a Lost Childhood<p>

It was early evening by the time the limousine pulled up to the main gates of Mahora Academy. A stately young woman stepped out as the driver retrieved her luggage from the trunk. Bowing respectfully, he inquired, "Will Ojōsama need assistance in carrying her belongings to her dormitory?"

She shook her head, replying, "I shall carry my own luggage, Harada-kun. Nevertheless, I appreciate your offer."

Bowing deeply, Harada returned to the limo and drove off into the distance. Sighing, she turned back and walked toward what would become her home for the foreseeable future. Her memories returned to the discussion she had earlier with her father.

* * *

><p>"<em>I know you will not be pleased with this decision, but the council has decided that it shall fall upon you to destroy the one they call the Dark Evangel."<em>

_The young woman bowed deeply despite the fact she was speaking on the phone._

"_Forgive me for speaking out of turn, Otōsan," she replied, "but I do not feel ready for this task. After all, we're speaking about the most powerful vampire in the world."_

_The older man on the other end of the line spoke in a tone of voice that he always used when reassuring her. The girl almost felt as if he had reached through the phone and placed his hands on her shoulders._

"I_ have faith in you. You can do this. I don't have to remind you about the consequences of failure if that were to happen."_

_She did not need reminding of their fate should she fail this mission. Though her family had a great amount of wealth and influence amongst humans, they had fallen out of favor of the council, the latter showing favor to the more pureblooded, deep-rooted clans with richer history than hers. Swallowing her fear, she inquired, "What must I do?"_

* * *

><p>"I find it strange that Sofu* would hire a ten-year-old kid to teach a class of middle-school students, let alone ours. What about you, Secchan?"<p>

The young woman who had been questioned turned to the speaker, a lively girl with chocolate-colored hair and eyes to match.

"I do not understand Konoe-sama's intentions are, but I shall not question him."

Konoka Konoe gave the girl a pout.

"Mou, Secchan. You don't have to be so by-the-book, do you? Tell me how you honestly feel about it."

Setsuna Sakurazaki took one look at her friend, her pale face turning slightly pink as she fought a fierce blush from spreading across her features.

_Why does Konochan have to pout like that? It's unbearably cute…_

"I must admit that I do find it a tad unusual. But I never have made it a habit to question your grandfather, Konochan. After all, he has ordered me to protect you."

"And you have fulfilled your duties wonderfully, Secchan," the optimistic young woman replied, taking her close friend's hand in her own. This caused the warrior to blush fiercely.

_Must you tease me like this Konochan?_

As they walked back to the dormitories, the warrior ran a hand through her sideways tied, raven-black hair, reflecting on how she came to be more open around Konoka. Her memories were fond: She had met Konoka after the Konoe family had taken her in at the young age of five years. Eishun, Konoka's father, had taken it upon himself to train the young Setsuna in the art of Shinmeiryū, an ancient art of swordsmanship that required vigilant study and rigorous, tiring training. On rare occasions, she spent some time playing with the young girl. One day, however, Konoka had slipped into a nearby river and was nearly washed away. Setsuna tried to save her, but nearly drowned herself as well. Eishun and a few of the other adults had to go in and pull them from the raging waters.

Setsuna could never forgive herself for letting that nearly happen. She eventually left the Konoe household and went into the care of the Shinmeiryū. It would be another seven years before the two would meet again at Mahora. However, Setsuna had become cold and indifferent, wishing only to serve and protect Konoka. She had even refused to call her by the pet name she had developed especially for her childhood friend. It was like this for a full year. Eventually, Konoka had taken the matter up with her grandfather, failing to understand why her closest of friends had become this way. Setsuna could vividly remember the day that Konoemon had called her into his office.

* * *

><p>"<em>You requested my presence, Konoe-sama?" the young warrior asked, bowing low at the dean. <em>

_The older man turned and said, "Please come in, Setsuna-kun."_

_This remark caused the warrior to then fiercely kneel down on one knee, her head nearly touching the ground._

"_Konoe-sama, this humble servant is unworthy to be addressed in such a manner as one as noble as…"_

_The old man waved off the remark, replying in a gentle, reassuring tone, "Now, now Setsuna-kun. There is no need to be so deferential. Be honored that I am addressing you as such." _

_He gestured toward the armchair sitting opposite of his desk and continued in saying, _"_Please, have a seat, and accept some tea."_

_Daring not to question or refuse the Dean's request, Setsuna sat down. Taking the chawan* from the older man, she bowed her head, saying, "Otemae chodai itashimasu*," and took a sip, letting it warm her from the cold weather outside. As she took another sip, the older man spoke._

"_I'm calling you in here today to discuss your duties in protecting my granddaughter."_

"_Konoe-sama, you know that I would give my life for Konoka ojōsama as it is my solemn and only duty to protect her."_

"_Which," the dean replied, "you have performed admirably. But I am not blind to my granddaughter's needs either. She spoke to me earlier regarding your demeanor toward her. She is dismayed and disheartened."_

"_With all due respect," Setsuna replied, setting the chawan down, "In order to fulfill my duties with the utmost efficiency, I must not allow any myself to have any close relationship with the ojōsama."_

"_Because that is what the Shinmeiryū taught you. Now, if my failing memory serves me correctly, Eishun did not specify that when you trained with him, correct?"_

"_I... that is to say…" the young warrior replied before bowing her head and admitting, "You would be correct, Konoe-sama."_

_Konoemon stood up and shuffled around his desk to where Setsuna sat. Pulling up another armchair, he sat down across from her._

"_Setsuna-kun, I am aware that you feel the need to protect Konoka from the shadows, but have you ever considered protecting her while still maintaining your friendship with her?"_

"_But… how can I?" the young woman replied, her bowed head hiding unshed tears in her eyes. "When I protected her out in the open, I almost let her drown! I could never bring myself to be that close to her lest something similar happen again!"_

"_But at what cost?" the Dean replied. "Forget all that you were taught at the Shinmeiryū and think carefully. Tell me which you value more: the life of Konoka the heiress, or the life of Konoka, the friend?"_

_Setsuna could not find it in her to answer the Dean. While she valued the friendship they had as children, she had been trained to become like a sword: sharp and emotionless, serving only to protect, not to love._

"_I think," Konoemon continued, standing up and walking over to the window, "that there is no correct answer. I am a mage, not a warrior. Yet, I feel that a warrior must find a perfect balance between being a sword and living a normal life. Many have succeeded before, and I believe you can too, Setsuna-kun. Don't throw away the memories you made with Konoka merely because you were told that you must. Cherish them, and let them be the source of your power."_

* * *

><p>By the time she had finished reminiscing, they had reached the room that Konoka shared with Asuna. The heiress' hand left Setsuna's as she entered the room. Turning back, she smiled and said, "Oyasumi, Secchan."<p>

"Oyasumi, Konochan," the warrior replied. "If you need anything, you know where to find me."

As the door shut, Setsuna proceeded to walk down the hallway to her room. Before reaching it, she heard a voice say, "Well, well. You and the ojōsama are getting quite cozy together, eh?"

Without turning to the speaker, the young woman replied, "I shall never understand why you delight in tormenting me, Tatsumiya-san."

A dark-skinned, dark-haired young woman of high school age stepped out of the shadows. She wore the white haori and red hakama of a miko* yet carried a pair of pistols in her waist sash.

"I am merely making an observation," the young woman, whose full name was Mana Tatsumiya, replied. "If it concerns you any, I shall be staying at the shrine for the evening."

Before Setsuna could speak, she felt a slight disruption in the aura surrounding them. Closing her eyes, she focused her Ki in an attempt to locate the source of the disruption. Opening her eyes after a short time, she inquired, "Do you think it could be malicious?"

"I'm not sure," the young priestess and demon hunter replied, "But whatever it is, it is here for some purpose. I'll alert Entheofushia-san and inform her to keep an eye out. It's already enough with three Shinso on campus. I don't think we need any more uninvited guests here."

Setsuna continued to probe the area with her Ki.

"It feels like it could be a Ōkami*."

"If it is, then things could turn ugly if it's after a certain someone here."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _Sofu_ is the humble term used when referring to one's own grandfather. Ojīsan is used when one is referring to another's grandfather.

_Chawan_ is a type of bowl used in Tea Ceremonies. In a traditional setting, the _chawan_ is turned twice by the recipient so as to not drink from the front of the bowl.

_Otemae chodai itashimasu_ is said by the guests in a tea ceremony. It roughly translates to "Thank you for making the tea."

_Miko_, in Japanese culture and tradition, is a young, virgin woman who serves as a priestess and caretaker for Shinto shrines. In premodern Japan, they served as fortune-tellers and mediums who communicated with spirits. In the modern era, one might become a _miko_ to make ends meet or to help with finances whilst attending college as a part-time job.

_Ōkami_ means wolf. It is apparent that Setsuna is referring to the young woman mentioned at the beginning of the chapter, but who could this young woman be?


	5. Twixt Peasants and Nobility

**A/N:** Sorry this chapter came out a bit later than I hoped, but I did mention that I would put them out as I work them around my work schedule. Since we're getting into the holidays, I won't make any promises on releases (see aforementioned note about schedules.

**Animajunki1230** - I would sincerely hope that you wouldn't be making a _Twilight_ reference... Even then, your guess will be either verified or debunked in this chapter.

**call911imbad** - As always, thanks for your review. Here's the next chapter to please your appetite.

**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own _Mahou Sensei Negima_ or any affiliated characters therein. All rights belong to Ken Akamatsu and other respective proprietors. I only own Horacio Valdez de la Cuesta.

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><p>IV. 'Twixt Peasants and Nobility<p>

The setting sun over the horizon cast a pinkish-orange hue over the many buildings that dotted the campus of Mahora Academy. The academy itself had a rich history. It started as Mahora Junior High in the early 1940's before the bombings of Tokyo and the various districts within the prefecture by the Allies. During reconstruction, the prefectural government decided to expand beyond the junior-high by building several elementary and high schools along with the university. This would ultimately make the city a haven for those who sought to enrich their educational studies.

Soon, the sun began to sink even further as the moon began to glance out over the trio of vampires walking the aptly named Sakura Lane, the gentle wind blowing the cherry blossoms from the branches of the trees that lined it. Chachamaru walked in silence as the young boy who became her and Evangeline's teacher converse with the latter.

"We never had the chance to introduce ourselves to each other properly that night. I am Nevyn Gil Springfield."

The young girl gave the boy a quizzical glance.

"Nevyn Gil… those aren't very Welsh names now, are they?"

Negi scratched the back of his head in light embarrassment whilst replying, "My father was half-Scotsman, half English. My mother died giving birth to me, so he was the one who ultimately named me."

Evangeline felt a pang of sorrow for the young boy who never knew his mother. Then again, it was not like she could remember her parents that much either. Oft-times, she found herself wondering whatever became of them. Pushing her thoughts aside, she inquired, "So, how did you come to be of the Shinso order?"

Negi glanced at the now darkened sky as he began to retell his early life to the young girl.

"I was deathly ill as a child. My father tried his best to tend to me and the crops at the same time. Our landlord was not the most pleasant of creatures, but he relaxed his taxes a bit for my sake. Even then, it was still hard for him to make ends meet. When I turned ten, my illness took a turn for the worse. The landlord then told my dad he'd waive all his taxes until he found a doctor to care for me.

"Most of the doctors we visited couldn't do anything for me. I was beginning to slip away day after day. At that point, my father would do anything to save me, even if it meant having me turned into a creature that was considered a spawn of the devil. He heard of a Celtic shaman who lived in solitude somewhere off the coastline. We eventually found him after a long journey. By that point, I was on my deathbed and losing all grips on reality.

"The shaman knew of the ritual to turn people into vampires but never used it himself. The shaman warned my father of the consequences, but he had his mind made up on the matter. The ritual was painless for the most part. It was shortly after I had been turned that the blood-lust took hold of me. Thankfully, the shaman offered himself or I would've gone after my father." At the thought of draining his father of blood, Negi gave a violent shudder, even though it had happened ages ago.

"So what happened thereafter?" Evangeline inquired.

"Well, seeing as I was a vampire, my father knew that I would be unable to stay in Tregaron. I can't remember much about our farewell, but I promised him that I would come and visit on occasion when I could. Unfortunately, I would never be able to keep that promise since vampire hunts became a large sport in the few yeas following thereafter. I fled to mainland Europe and came under the care of a Prussian vampire who taught me magic and how to develop resistance to sunlight. He died eventually after leading a pack of vampire hunters away from me. And that about sums up the major events in my early years before meeting you at Castle Dracula."

The young girl sighed. She often thought her consequence was worse than any of the other members of their order, as few and far between as they were nowadays, but the young peasant boy had proved her wrong. She had lived a life of nobility and luxury in her early childhood whilst he lived in a life of poverty with Death knocking at almost every opportune moment.

Negi turned to her and said, "So, may I have the pleasure of thine name, My Lady?"

Nodding, she replied, "I am Evangeline Athanasia Katherine McDowell of Galloway."

The young boy stared in shock. He had fallen head over heels with one of the most prominent, if not the most prominent, Shinso vampires in the world. Evangeline saw the shock in his face and chuckled good-naturedly.

"Believe me, you won't be the first to have had that reaction when they found out who I am. Anyhow, I'll tell you about myself once we get back to the cottage."

* * *

><p>"So it comes to my understanding that you wish to study here at Mahora Academy. Would I presume correctly, Yukihiro Ayaka?"<p>

There was something about Dean Konoe that made Ayaka Yukihiro fidget uncomfortably. The trouble was determining whether he knew what she was or the amount of magical power that encompassed him. Nevertheless, she calmed her nerves and replied, "Hai, Konoe-sama. Rather, it was my father's wish that I study here at the most prestigious educational facility in the country."

The Dean appraised the young woman quizzically. It puzzled him slightly that the head of the Yukihiro Corporation would send his daughter to a private school when he had the wealth and means to hire the most prestigious educators in the world. Perhaps there was another motive behind this, particularly regarding three certain individuals on campus.

Keeping these thoughts well hidden, he replied, "Well, I would be more than happy to welcome you to the Academy. As far as living arrangements go, I will have you put up in the Junior High dormitory." He pulled out a list of living arrangements in said dormitory, his eyes furtively scanning the document until he had found a room with an open bed.

"You will be boarding with Chizuru Naba and Natsumi Murakami. I think you will be able to socialize with Naba-kun quite well as she is the daughter of head of Naba Industries. Will there be any further questions?"

Ayaka bowed.

"No," she replied in a respectful tone, "I have no further questions, Konoe-sama."

"That settles it then. I shall have Minamoto-kun, my personal secretary, escort you to the dormitories. You can find her in the infirmary just a few rooms down."

As the young woman left, she nearly collided with another person entering the room. Bowing, she said, "Shitsurei shimashita." She would almost instantaneously recoil as her green eyes met a pair of eyes that were as grey as steel and cold as ice. Squeaking in fright, she quickly moved around the figure and disappeared down the hall. Closing the door behind them, the figure approached the desk.

"You would be Konoemon Konoe," the figure spoke, their voice laced with a thick, Germanic accent, "Am I correct?"

* * *

><p>Negi felt some sort of twinge as the trio came upon the cottage. Turning to Evangeline, he inquired, "What was that twinge just now?"<p>

"It is a barrier in place here that severely inhibits Eva's power," Chachamaru replied, speaking for the first time that entire afternoon. "Because of what we are, we become aware of when another presence enters the barrier, either magical…"

"Or when it's another of our kind," the young girl finished the elder's statement. "But this one is different. I can feel a great power about them; power that matches possibly yours and mine. Instead of us seeking them out, we'll let them seek us out. After all, if it is one of our kind, then they may have some news on our brethren after all these centuries."

* * *

><p>Setsuna felt her Ki alert her to a new presence that had permeated the barrier. Standing up from her meditative stance, she lifted her blade from the floor and tied it to her navy-blue hakama. Putting on a small jacket over the white haori she wore after school each day, she left her dorm room and headed toward the Asuna and Konoka's dorm room. Out of her peripheral, she noted Shizuna Miyamoto, the personal secretary of Dean Konoe and the Junior High medical officer, leading a young, blonde-haired woman toward another dorm room across the opening that divided the dorms in a rectangular shape.<p>

_So that is our Ōkami. I will have to inform Asuna-san that she is living in the dorms. I'm not sure how she's going to handle the news of another vampire on campus._

Reaching her destination, she knocked gently. The door opened, revealing Konoka in her pajamas.

"Secchan, what surprise! Is there something you needed?"

Nodding, the young warrior replied, "Actually, Konochan, there is something I need to discuss with Asuna-san in private for a moment. Could you send her out here please?"

Nodding, the cheerful girl disappeared into the room. A short minute later, the redheaded vampire hunter exited the room and closed the door behind her.

"I presume Mana told you of the Ōkami on campus?" Setsuna inquired in English.

While many of their classmates were still learning English at a basic level, Dean Konoe had made it a prerequisite for any members of the Student Patrol to be fluent in English to a near native level. This was enacted for one specific reason: to keep any of the non-magical students from getting too curious or catching wind of any potential dangers on campus so as to prevent hysteria. Setsuna considered herself lucky to be a quick learner, attributing it primarily to her skills with a sword.

"She did," Asuna replied, nodding in the direction of Shizuna and the blonde youth, "I assume that's her over there, correct?"

"Hai," the warrior nodded, "Me and Mana are keeping close watch over her. However, that's not what I came here to talk to you about. There's another presence that's entered the barrier."

"I felt it too, and it's another vampire. In fact, you caught me at a convenient moment. I'm heading over to the Dean's office. It's bad enough with three vampires on campus, but I will not stand by and let this place become a haven for their kind."


	6. Keep Your Friends Close

**call911imbad**: Nah, I wouldn't dream of abandoning this project. It's just with the holidays in full swing, work is draining me of the will to write, but I will continue as the ideas keep coming.

**Animajunki1230**: Your question will be partially answered in this chapter, but full details won't be revealed until later on down the road.

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Mahou Sensei Negima and any characters involved in said anime/manga therein. All rights belong to their respective owners. Horacio Valdez de la Cuesta is owned by me. The German newcomer is owned by Ghost Writer Orange-kun with whom I am now collaborating with on this project.

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><p>V. Keep Your Friends Close…<p>

"Naba-kun? Murakami-kun? Are you there?"

The door to the dorm room opened, revealing an auburn-haired, freckled girl with brown eyes that scanned the two persons outside of her room.

"Oh! Minamoto-sensei," the girl said, bowing several times in apology, "Forgive me for not answering more promptly!"

Shizuna Minamoto, the school nurse and the personal secretary to Dean Konoe, chuckled lightly. Gesturing toward the blonde standing next to her, she replied, "This is your new roommate, Yukihiro Ayaka."

The young Natsumi bowed politely.

"Irasshaimase, Yukihiro-san. I am Murakami Natsumi, member of the Drama Club and in class 2-A."

"Please," the blonde replied, bowing the same, "Just Ayaka will do fine."

"Very well then, Ayaka-san. Please come in."

Ayaka picked up her suitcases and entered the room whilst Shizuna said after her, "Again, welcome to Mahora Academy. I hope you find your place here."

"Arigatō gozaimasu Minamoto-sensei," the blonde replied as the door shut behind her. Removing her shoes and setting her suitcases on the floor and entered the main room. It was small compared to the mansion she and her family resided in, but she would get used to it. A kotatsu* sat in the center of the dorm. A small kitchenette and the door to the personal bathroom sat to her right whilst a bunk-bed and a full-size bed sat caddy-corner of each other on the left side of the dorm. Natsumi was in the kitchenette preparing some tea for the newcomer.

"Please, make yourself at home," she stated cheerfully, gesturing to the kotatsu. The young woman nodded in thanks and assumed the seiza* position at the small table.

Ayaka turned her head as the door to the dorm opened, revealing a young woman of her size with brown hair. The freckled girl called out, "Okaerinasai* Chizu-nee."

"Arigatō Natsumi-chan," the entrant replied in a voice well-suited to the motherly aura that surrounded her. "Oh, I didn't see you there. Are you our new roommate?"

Ayaka stood up and walked over to the young woman. Bowing politely, she said, "Hai. I am Yukihiro Ayaka. I presume you are Naba Hideki-san's daughter. My father is good friends with him."

"Ah, of course, though I've never had the pleasure of meeting your father," the young woman replied. Returning the bow she said, "A pleasure to finally meet you, Yukihiro Ayaka-sama. I am Naba Chizuru. Perhaps we can get to know each other a bit better throughout the year."

* * *

><p>"You must be the person that I sent for. Please, have a seat."<p>

The stranger politely waved off the invitation, replying with, "I shall be fine just standing here."

Dean Konoe shrugged.

"Suit yourself then."

The venerable old man poured himself a cup of tea and proceeded to sip from it before pulling a folder out and opening it. Skimming through the papers, he proceeded to ask the newcomer, "So, from the letters of recommendation I received, you appear to be highly qualified for the task I am to assign you. And I sincerely hope you are."

"_Herr_ Konoe," the stranger replied bluntly, "Do not waste my time with small talk and petty conversations. What is this task that you require of me?"

Closing the folder, the Dean responded in saying, "As you are aware, I'm sure, the campus is currently serving as a 'prison' to the world's most notorious magical criminal. Due in part to a certain comrade of mine, we have erected a barrier that severely inhibits her abilities. But she is not alone, for she had turned one student some few years ago. Recently, another one of her kind has come to the campus. I'm not sure what his true motivations are, but I have him under watch by the aforementioned…"

Before he could continue any further, the door to his office slammed open. A furious Asuna stormed in and approached the desk.

"Dean Konoe, I demand to know the meaning of this… creature's presence here!" she practically screamed whilst pointing at the hooded newcomer.

"As your employer," the old man stated rather tersely, "I will do well to remind you of your place Asuna-kun."

"But I must protest," the redhead continued, lowering her voice to a more reasonable level, "As a vampire hunter, it is my duty to ensure that none of the students come to any harm. And I cannot – rather, _will not_ – stand by and watch this place become a safe haven to their kind!"

"With all due respect, _Fräulein_, if you have so many problems with me, then why not try to kill me now and get it over with," the vampire baited in a snarky tone of voice.

"Since you put it that way," Asuna replied as an orb of light started gathering in her hand.

"ENOUGH!" Dean Konoe yelled as he finally lost his patience with the two people in his office. "Both of you have a seat this instant, and we shall start this conversation like civilized people."

As both sat down, the vampire leered at the young vampire hunter, saying, "I dare you to try that again later, and we shall see who wins."

"Αι στο διάλο," the redhead replied bitterly as she refocused her attention on her employer, the latter giving them an "over the glasses" stare before clearing his throat.

"As I was saying, before our interruption, the vampire who recently became teacher of Class A is under the watch of this young lady here, Asuna Entheofushia."

"And I am well aware of the notoriety that family has amongst my brethren," the vampire replied, "But I do not fear any vampire hunter. Whatever your assignment is for me, _Herr_ Konoe, be assured that I shall do so to the fullest extent of my abilities."

The reply earned a snort from the aforementioned vampire hunter, which in turn earned her another glare from her employer. The old man then proceeded to stand up and walk over toward a file cabinet. He put the folder containing the information and recommendations into the cabinet and shut it. He returned to his seat and took a sip from his now lukewarm tea.

"Then it's settled. Your assignment is to work together with Asuna-kun in keeping watch over the Dark Evangel and the young Springfield and make sure they do nothing to harm any of the students. And," he continued, "since you two seem to get along so well, you will board with my granddaughter and Asuna-kun in their dorm."

A look of shock crossed the redhead's face. Her eye twitched several times before she screamed, "NANDAYO?"

* * *

><p><strong>Translation Notes:<strong>

Kotatsu - A low-seated coffee table common to a number of households in Japan

Seiza - A position of sitting where one folds their legs beneath them. This is most commonly used at Tea Ceremonies or in martial arts class. It is also used to sit at a kotatsu for the most part.

Okaerinasai - Literally, "Welcome back."

_Herr_ - German for "Mister"

_Fräulein _- German for "Miss". _Fräulein _is no longer used in Germany when addressing a young woman unless the addressee requests the use of the word. _Frau_ (Mrs., Ms.) is most commonly used nowadays when addressing a young woman.

Αι στο διάλο - Greek, literally "Go to Hell."

Nandayo - What the hell?


	7. Pride and Prejudice

**A/N: **Responses to reviews will be at the bottom of the page now and will precede any translations/interesting facts. For now, enjoy the latest movement of the Dark Waltz.

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Mahou Sensei Negima or any related characters/places/things therein. All rights belong to their respective proprietors. Horacio Valdez de la Cuesta is property of me. Reinhart is property of Ghost Writer Orange-kun.

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><p>VI. Pride and Prejudice<p>

Asuna knew she would be asked to do many things that would seem impossible in her life, but this, by far, was going to be a damn near impossible task for her to complete. The only thing she could take solace in was the fact that her new coworker, who had only introduced himself as Reinhart, felt similarly about the situation. The only thing she learned about him before they left the Dean's office was that he hailed from the Bavarian region of Germany. Other than that, she had no age or other information that would betray too much about him.

To any bystander that would be out before curfew began, they looked like a brother and sister arguing with each other over something menial. However, their assumptions couldn't be anything further from the truth, not that they could understand the arguing beings anyhow.

"Let me make it clear," the redhead began, "that I am only doing this because I respect Dean Konoe as my employer and as the head of this academy. However, if I had my way, I would kill you right here, right now!"

"And as I told you earlier, _Fräulein_," the vampire baited, "that I would gladly accept that challenge anytime." Both of them knew, however, that as long as the venerable old man controlled their paystubs, they would have to be on working terms. That, however, did not, and probably would not, stop their bickering.

"You know, your views are very narrow on my people as a whole," Reinhart continued, "but what can one expect when someone such as yourself is the daughter of the _second_ most powerful family vampire hunters."

This comment greatly irked Asuna. She turned to the vampire, raising her voice, "Don't you dare speak ill of my family! Whilst our legacy may not be as vast as the Belmont family, their line is far dead! Ours continues to live, and I will do my best to uphold that honor!"

"Those are some tall words for one whose job is babysitting a pair of ten-year-olds."

The redhead was beginning to lose control of her anger. However, she couldn't let the vampire's baiting get to her. He was testing her, and he knew that if he could get her to lose her temper, she would be reprimanded by the Dean and removed from her job.

_As much as she is a hindrance to my plans, she may be of some use to me later on_, the vampire thought dourly.

As they neared the dormitories, their bickering caught the attention of Haruna Saotome. Slowly and meticulously, she made her way toward and peered out the window of the room she shared with her two of her fellow classmates. The black-haired, bespectacled teenager was one of the most notorious gossip hounds of the second year girls as well as a renowned mangaka for one of the most popular manga on campus. Her grip of English was good, but only just enough to get her by if she were to travel abroad. Thinking this another opportunity to make some news on campus, she opened her window and peered out, taking note of Asuna walking toward the dorm. She appeared to be arguing with another person, a young man by the sound of his voice. It was in English, but it was too muffled and rapid for her to make heads of it.

"What's going on out there Paru?" inquired one of her roommates, namely one Nodoka Miyazaki. She was a rather quiet girl who spent most of her time indulging in literature and other works. Because of this, she had become something of a multi-linguist, having taken the time to painstakingly read works in other languages, her strong points in English and Latin, though she still conversed in her native tongue. This gave her a great advantage amongst her classmates.

"It looks like Iinchō is arguing with some dude out there," the mangaka replied, "Do you think you could interpret what they're arguing about Honya?"

Honya was the nickname that had been given to the purple-haired girl due to her reading of books. She didn't particularly care for the nickname, but she bore with it as the name began to stick with her classmates. Knowing that her friend would not give up for the sake of her insatiable thirst for gossip, she proceeded toward the window. Cupping a hand to her ear, she strained to hear what the two beings were saying. After a minute or two, she turned back toward Haruna.

"Gomen ne Paru," she stated in an apologetic tone of voice, "but I can't hear them well enough to know what they're saying."

"Okay. Thanks anyway Honya." With that, Haruna proceeded to wrap up her drawings for the evening and turned in.

The truth of the matter was that the junior librarian had heard plenty of the conversation. She merely lied to keep her friend's appetite to spread another rumor at bay for the time being. She had also heard enough to confirm a few suspicions of her own in regards to their new teacher and Asuna. Reading as many books as she did had helped open her mind to a plethora of possibilities, especially the existence of creatures that would be considered fictional or even figments of the imagination.

_As long as Asuna-san is in our class, I don't think that Negi-sensei would try to do us any harm._

Proceed to climb back in her bunk, she turned on the small book-light and continued to read where she had left off. Though it was in Latin, she could read it like it was written in Japanese. Putting a finger on a page, she began to read and translate the written text in her mind.

_The Principles of Magic and How to Identify Your Elemental Strengths…_

* * *

><p>"Tadaima Konoka!" Asuna called out as she opened the door their dorm room.<p>

"Irasshai… Oh, who's this young man? Is he your boyfriend?" the chocolate-haired girl replied, cheekily wiggling her eyebrows.

A vein briefly bulged on the redhead's forehead before she calmed herself down. Heading toward the desk that the two shared, she sat down and proceeded to resume her studies.

"No," she replied, her indifference laced with some venom. "He's not my boyfriend. Your grandfather wants him to room with us until living arrangements can be found for him."

The young man lowered his hood, revealing a short shock of burgundy colored hair. His grey eyes took on a gentler demeanor than the one he had been using with Asuna. He bowed low at his waist, keeping his gaze averted from Konoka.

"_Guten Abend_, _Fräulein Konoe._ I am Reinhart, your new teacher's aide for your English class."

Konoka giggled at his formality. Waving her hand as if to signal embarrassment, she replied, "There's no need to formal, Reinhart-san. Just call me Konoka."

Remembering what he had learned about the use of Japanese honorifics, he replied, "As you wish, Konoka-san."

"That's better. Now, you must be hungry! What do you like to eat?"

Asuna shook her head in slight humor as Konoka began doting on the startled vampire, the latter probably having never encountered anyone as outgoing or laidback as her friend.

_If only she knew what kind of abomination he was, she'd probably change her tune in a heartbeat._

Several minutes of getting his first taste of Japanese cuisine later, the vampire stood up and bowed to Konoka again.

"_Dankeschön_ Konoka-san. The meal was most delicious."

"I'm glad you like it," the girl giggled as she set about clearing the used dishes and washing them in the sink. The vampire stretched and turned to Asuna.

"If you don't mind, I must stretch my legs for a bit," he said in English.

"Do as you wish," the redhead replied, "but know this: you're being watched very carefully."

Reinhart deduced two conclusions: either there were more vampire hunters on campus or there were an array of beings like him that worked in conjunction with his new partner. Throwing caution to the wind, he bowed and proceeded out the door. As he closed the door, a movement caught his peripheral. Turning, he saw two girls about Asuna's age standing in the hallway, both examining him very carefully. He took note of them, one of them pale-skinned with her hair done up like a samurai, and the other a dark-skinned priestess of some sort. Both toted weapons on their persons.

Going with his gut instinct, he bowed and spoke to them, his voice splipping into his native tongue.

"_Sind Sie Kollegen von Fräulein Entheofushia?_"

The dark-skinned priestess turned to the shorter girl.

"わかりません," was the phrase that came out of her mouth.

The shorter girl replied, "ドイツ語." She then turned to Reinhart and inquired in heavily accented English, "Do you speak English?"

Reinhart cursed himself inwardly for causing them confusion. Bowing, he replied, "Gomen nasai. You'll have to forgive me. My Japanese is a bit rusty. I was asking if you two ladies worked with Entheofushia-san."

"Your assumption is correct, vampire. My name is Sakurazaki Setsuna. I am a student of the Shinmeiryū style of kendo. This is Tatsumiya Mana," she stated, gesturing at the dark-skinned priestess. "She is a miko at the shrine on campus. We are both demon hunters and members of the student security team here."

Nodding, the vampire noticed what looked like to be a seals plastered about the hallway. To any normal person, they would not be visible. But to those of magical blood or nonhuman, they were plainly visible. He realized that either these two ladies or Asuna had put them there to either suppress his natural abilities or to alert her if he strayed too far from her sight. Deciding not to push and inquire about the seals, he then responded, "So, in that respect, you two are my new coworkers as well. I am Reinhart."

"A pleasure, Reinhart-san," Mana finally spoke, "It will be most interesting to see how we will work together considering that Asuna-san wishes you dead."

"Yes, it will be most interesting indeed," he replied, "But I think it is nice that I will be working with creatures that are like myself in some respect."

"Of course," Mana replied, "but know that protecting the students is our first priority. If you so much as…"

"Yes, yes," the vampire sighed, rubbing his temples. "I doubt this will be the last time I hear someone saying anything about them killing me."

"That eliminates one step," Setsuna said. "Now, yours and Asuna-san's shift begins at midnight. I suggest you return and prepare for a long three hours."

* * *

><p><strong>call911imbad:<strong> I find that throwing in some foreign words helps enhance the diversity of the performers of this "dance".

**Animajunki1230:** Here is the next chapter for you then. Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Translations:<strong>

Tadaima - I'm home/I'm back.

Irasshai - Informal form of Irasshaimase (Welcome)

_Guten Abend _- Good Evening.

_Dankeschön _- Thank you very much.

_Sind Sie Kollegen von Fräulein Entheofushia? _- You are colleagues of Miss Entheofushia?

わかりません (Romaji - Wakarimasen) - I don't understand.

ドイツ語 (Romaji - Doitsugo) - German


	8. Two Sides to Every Story

**A/N****:** Happy New Year to all of you. I hope your holiday seasons were relaxing and refreshing. Here is the latest movement of the Dark Waltz.

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Mahou Sensei Negima or any thing therein involved with said manga/anime. All rights belong to their respective proprietors. Reinhart is property of Ghost Writer Orange-kun. Horacio Valdez de la Cuesta is my creation and, therefore, my property. The Belmont clan and all other Castlevania references belong to Nintendo, Inc.

* * *

><p>VII. Two Sides to Every Story<p>

"Please, have a seat if you'd like."

Negi took the offer willingly and sat down at the small table in the little Western cottage that Evangeline had called her home for the past fifteen years. The cottage had originally been the residence of an older Englishman who served as a groundskeeper for Mahora Senior High before it was torn down and the academy erected in its place. Dean Konoe had seen it fit to serve as Evangeline's residence for two reasons: the first being that it was easier to know when she was out and about lurking on campus, and the second being that it kept her a fair distance from the students. The young girl sat herself across from the young boy and sloughed off her blazer.

"You see, Negi," Evangeline began as Chachamaru busied herself with making tea for both her "sister" and their teacher, "I was much like you when I was young, though my life was indeed a sheltered one. I can't remember much about what happened, but I woke up and found that in my blind bloodlust, I had killed my nursemaid and several other servants who had attended to me. Knowing what I had become, I fled the castle in search of the man who turned me.

"I eventually found and killed him, though my revenge was bittersweet. His life would never amount to the lives of those I had taken. Like you, I fled to mainland Europe, though somehow I ended up in Spain. There, I came under the care of a Spanish nobleman by the name of Horacio Valdez de la Cuesta. It was he who taught me magic and became my mentor over the years. After some time, I left his care and began to roam the land freely. Because of my notoriety, I earned respect and fear amongst our brethren. It seemed that word of my actions had gotten even to Dracula for I had received a personal invitation from him to attend the Grand Ball. And, as the timeless saying goes, the rest is history."

Negi only nodded slightly as Chachamaru set a cup of the strong smelling tea in front of him. Unsure of what to say, he watched as Evangeline accepted her cup from the green-haired young woman. Bowing her head slightly, the young vampire said, "Otemae chodai itashimasu," to which the young woman replied, "Anatanokangei." Following her example, Negi said, "Otemae chodai itashimasu, Karakuri-san."

"Anatanokangei, Negi-sensei," Chachamaru replied before pouring herself a cup and joining them at the table. The young boy took a small sip of the strange tea. It was a bit stronger than the tea he was used to drinking, but it almost felt invigorating and refreshing in some strange way. Turning to the junior vampire, he inquired, "What is this kind of tea?"

"It is called matcha," the green-haired girl replied, "a high quality green tea used in tea ceremonies. Our culture considers brewing tea an art form, though the process is usually hours in length."

"It is difficult in this day in age to find a society who values their tea," Evangeline stated, sipping gently at the hot brew. "But that's a topic for another day. I think we have much catching up to do, and the night is still young."

* * *

><p>Though the night may have been young for Evangeline and Negi, it was a far cry from that for two other individuals halfway across campus. As the large clock on the academy grounds tolled the terminus of one day and the new beginning of another, Asuna exited her dorm quietly, catching sight of the incredulous Reinhart waiting for her.<p>

"You are late."

The redheaded teenager knew that it was going to be a long three hours. She was already irate enough having to work with an enemy of humanity. To make her evening worse, the vampire still had the audacity to continue baiting her. Pulling every shred of self-control she had to the surface, she stated nonchalantly, "You are saying that just because you were already out here hours before I was."

Pulling out a cellphone, she dialed a number and began speaking in rapid Japanese. Reinhart figured she was calling the samurai and miko that he had met earlier. His suspicions were confirmed when Asuna closed her phone and said, "We'll meet Setsuna and Mana outside of the dorms. From there, I will detail our duties and the route we will take. Understood?"

"_Jawohl_," the vampire replied in a sarcastic tone of voice to which Asuna replied, "Keep it up, and you will not live to see the light of day."

A few minutes later, the new coworkers found themselves outside of the dorm room with Setsuna and Mana. The raven-haired samurai was the first to speak.

"We covered the north and east sectors of the campus. There's no sign of any activity from the outside or any students breaking curfew. Gandolfini-san and Seruhiko-sensei have begun their tour of starting at the south end."

"Arigatō, Setsuna," the redhead replied, bowing her head in thanks. The miko and the samurai handed over two walkie-talkies to which Reinhart and Asuna took from them. Asuna then turned her unit on.

"Gandolfini-san, this is Entheofushia," she said in Japanese, "Reinhart-san and I will start at the junior-high dorms and head east."

"Hai," an older man's voice replied, "Your route should land you at the church at the half-point of your shift. I've already alerted Sister Shakti that you will be taking your break there before finishing up your tour."

"Arigatō, Gandolfini-san," Asuna replied before lowering the volume on her unit. Turning to her classmates, she said, "Oyasumi nasai." Setsuna and Mana replied in same before heading back in to the dormitory. The redhead then gestured at the vampire and then toward the east.

"Shall we?"

Most of the first hour was taken in silence with the occasional jab by Reinhart at Asuna's lineage. Much to his surprise, however, the young woman kept her silence. Inwardly, however, the temptation to kill the vampire was growing slowly. She knew that it would take every ounce of her will to hold back that desire. An hour-and-a-half later, the pair found themselves outside of the steps of the Catholic church on campus.

The Parish of St. Ursula, which was established in the late 1970s, had been originally designed to be a cathedral. However, due to space constraints, the Holy See had decided to have it built as a monastic establishment instead. The church itself was almost Gothic in style, but it retained the basic format of a Coptic monastery. The convent that sat adjacent to the church was home to Benedictine nuns that cared for the church and often provided various ministries within the limits of the Mahora District.

As Asuna approached the doors of the church, she took the opportunity to make a jab at the vampire.

"What's the matter, vampire? Are you afraid to enter a house of God?"

"Only in your dreams, vampire hunter," Reinhart replied before opening the doors and stepping into the narthex. As they closed the doors behind them, they were approached by a dark-skinned nun. Speaking in a quiet voice, she said, "Irasshaimase. Gandolfini informed me that you would take your repose here."

"_Dankeschön_, Sister," Reinhart replied, "Is it possible that I may enter the church so I can pray?"

"I can arrange that, Reinhart-san, though I must say it is unusual for one such as yourself to willingly enter a house of God without recoiling at the sight of the holy crucifix."

"That is because I am not your _typical_ vampire," the young man replied before entering the vast chamber. Asuna then realized that Reinhart was, indeed, a member of the Shinso order and not a "pureblood" vampire as she had originally anticipated.

_It appears that I will not be able to kill him as easily as I thought,_ the young woman thought to herself before entering the church. Seating herself at a pew and saying a small prayer, she sat and reflected for a short while. Soon afterward, Reinhart stood up and then sat down in the pew next to her.

"Let's cut to right to the matter, _Fräulein _Entheofushia," the vampire said in a rather calm, collected voice. "It will not do us any good to continue this incessant bickering. Not only does it jeopardize our ability to complete the tasks assigned to us, but it will be certain to draw attention to anyone who has a keen ear."

"Then what do you suggest?" the young woman snapped bitterly. "I am using every shred of self-control within me to suppress the urge to kill you, which happens to grow stronger with every jab you take at my family. And mind you, I am only working with you because I…"

"You have no need to remind me," the vampire interrupted her, "I respect Dean Konoe as well, but that detracts from the matter at hand. I suggest that we can afford to learn something from each other. You must learn that not all vampires are heartless, bloodthirsty savages that prey on mortals for sport. That distinction belongs solely to those who dare to call themselves 'pureblood'. We were all mortal once, just like you. Some gave themselves willingly while others were turned against their own will."

Asuna would've argued with Reinhart, but the latter did have a valid point that she had not considered before.

"I see the position that you come from, but that does not excuse their actions against us mortals."

"Some of them have specific reasons, whilst others do so because they have believed, in their corrupted minds, that because they must suffer immortality, they should not have to do so alone. It is those vampires that I see no problem with being destroyed."

"And what's your story, then?" the redhead inquired. This earned her a cryptic smile from the young man, who replied in a matter-of-fact tone, "That is a story for another time, _Fräulein_. Now, in regards to our coming to understand each other better, I propose we swear an oath of brotherhood by blood."

"What? And risk being turned?"

"_Nein, nein_," the vampire replied disarmingly, "There is no risk of you being turned if we share blood. If I wanted to turn you, I would have to bite you and then give you some of my blood." He then withdrew a small knife from his cloak and pointed it at his finger. It was then Asuna understood what he meant, even though the very idea of sharing blood with a vampire concerned her. However, if Reinhart was willing to wholly trust her without any inhibitions, then she figured she had nothing to lose.

Slowly, she extended her hand and opened it with her palm facing skyward. The young man then made small cut on his index finger. Then, taking Asuna's hand, he repeated the same with her index finger. Once he was finished, he put the knife back into his cloak and then said, "_Imperium Aeterni, Verbum Meum Sub Aequora Terra_."

The ground surrounding the two began to glow with a purple hue. A half-circle riddled with runic symbols appeared underneath of him. Looking at the redhead, he said, "And now, your activation key, if you please."

Asuna nodded and then closed her eyes, incanting, "_Incipio Confestum Vis Magica_." Shortly thereafter, the circle completed itself and filled with runic symbols.

"On this day," the vampire began to state methodically, "I, Reinhart Faustus, swear brotherhood and fealty to Asuna Kagurazaka-Entheofushia, through this magically binding oath. I swear this oath so that I may come to understand and learn from her, allowing us to work in harmony."

Asuna then followed suit by saying, "I, Asuna Kagurazaka-Entheofushia, swear brotherhood and fealty to Reinhart Faustus, through this magically binding oath. I swear this oath so that I may come to understand and learn from him, thus allowing me to become more aware of the good in parts of the vampire race and to work in harmony."

With their oaths said, the two then pushed their cuts together. The instant they touched, the circle glowed brightly as magical energy began to surge through both participants. Asuna almost felt what could only be described as a caffeine rush. It almost felt empowering and invigorating in the same instant. Just as soon as the surge of energy began, it was all over.

"There will be no visible sign of our oath," Reinhart informed the redhead. "Rather, the oath has been etched upon our souls. The only thing that would break this oath would be either of our deaths." Standing up, he then beckoned at the narthex door leading outside.

"Shall we, _meine Schwester_?"

* * *

><p><strong>call911imbad:<strong> Again, thanks for your continued reviews. We always appreciate them ^_^.

_Jawohl_ - Yes, sir!

_Meine Schwester_ - My sister


	9. Of Wolf and Man, Part I

**A/N:** This is going to be a longer chapter than usual and will lead up to the next few chapters. Anyhow, please enjoy the next movement of the Dark Waltz.

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Mahou Sensei Negima or any related properties therein. All rights belong to their respective owners. I own Horacio Valdez de la Cuesta. Reinhart Faustus is property of Ghost Writer Orange-kun.

* * *

><p>VIII. Of Wolf and Man, Part I<p>

The sound of an alarm clock blaring heralded the dawn of a new day. However, the clock would join a growing pile of mangled plastic as one sleeper smashed it silent. The said person rubbed their mismatched eyes as the morning sun peeked in through a gap in the curtains. Someone below the person shuffled as they got up, their feet padding softly across the carpeted floor.

"Mou, Asuna, that's almost the hundredth clock you've broken this year," a semi-wakened Konoka stated as she made her way to the kitchenette. The redhead lowered herself off her bunk, the smell of toast and boiling eggs wakening her senses fully. She heard her chocolate-haired friend say, "Ohayō gozaimasu, Reinhart-san!" in her trademark, cheerful tone of voice.

"_Guten Morgen_, Konoka-san," the vampire replied as he opened the refrigerator and rifled through it, extracting some cold cuts and a small manner of jams. Asuna reached for a piece of fruit in the basket that adorned the dorm's kotatsu and proceeded to munch on it, greeting the vampire with, "Ohayō gozaimasu."

"Heavy sleeper, aren't we?" the vampire inquired in an unusually polite tone of voice that nearly took Asuna aback. However, recalling the previous evening's events, she resigned herself to the fact that their work relationship would take a new light. With a small grunt of affirmation, she proceeded to take up the seiza position at the kotatsu.

"Eating luncheon meats for breakfast?" the redhead inquired. "That's a bit strange, isn't it?"

"I figured since Konoka-san prepared dinner for me last night," Reinhart replied, "I would treat you two to a full German breakfast. Konoka-san, can I ask you to remove the eggs from the stove and set them down over on the counter?"

"Sure thing, Reinhart-san," Konoka replied. Several minutes later, the kotatsu was adorned with the spread that Reinhart had prepared. The young man gestured at the food and said, "_Guten Appetit_."

"Itadakimasu," said Asuna as she helped herself, taking small amounts of everything. Konoka, however, decided to ask of the vampire, "How do you thank someone for a meal in your country, Reinhart-san?"

"In my country, we say '_Danke ebenfalls_.'"

"_D-d-dank e-e-even-th…_" the chocolate-haired girl attempted to say before Reinhart waved off her attempt politely, saying, "Perhaps I can teach you another time. We should make haste as classes begin in another hour or so."

Whilst they ate in silence, Asuna began to mull over something that had been nagging at the back of her brain since she and Reinhart had made their oath of fraternity.

_Faustus… where have I heard that name before?_

* * *

><p>Ayaka Yukihiro had never slept much in her life. In her opinion, sleep wasted one's time to achieve more productive goals in life. She had spent most of her night formulating a plan as to how to get near andor find the Dark Evangel when she was at her weakest. Her father had made it well known that the vampire was a powerful mage and could easily kill her if she were at even a fraction of her full strength. However, the ōkami knew that when Shinso vampires did not drink enough blood or were in need of feeding, they could very much become like humans.

With this information in mind, she watched the moon as it neared the end of its cycle. Night time would bring about the new moon and, with it, an opportunity to take her chance. Her thoughts were momentarily disturbed as she heard her roommates stir from their slumber. The blonde stood up and greeted them with an eloquent bow.

"Ohayō gozaimasu," she said softly, "I hope you two slept well."

"Ohayō Yukihiro-sama," the shorter of the two replied sleepily as she proceeded to meander over to the refrigerator and pull out some orange juice and her bento. It did not take Chizuru long to become fully awake. The motherly teenager greeted Ayaka in the same manner and proceeded to rifle through her drawers.

"Since you don't have a school uniform yet," she said, "I have a spare one since you are relatively the same size as me."

"Arigatō Naba-san," Ayaka replied. Chizuru handed her the uniform with which the blonde took and proceeded to enter the washroom to change.

Several minutes later, the three of them found themselves walking along the cobblestone streets toward the junior-high building. While they would've normally taken one of the trams into campus, they had half-an-hour left to make their way on foot. This gave Chizuru and Natsumi the opportunity to point out the various sights and spectacles of the academy. The blonde, who had been to the academy once before whilst contemplating a large selection of schools, feigned interest. Her father had taught her the people who talked much often said little in relevance to the greater goals in life. When she had tired of their chatter, she politely changed subjects on them, speaking directly to Chizuru about their fathers and their respective businesses. This left Natsumi feeling slightly aloof, but she listened with great interest.

Within ten minutes of the final bell, the three young women entered their classroom. Most of the girls were already present and discussing the finalized schedule for their daily routine. Wordlessly, they each took their seats. Eventually, Konoka and Asuna entered followed by Setsuna and Mana as the first tardy bell rang. Ayaka felt a slight twinge as her Ki became overpowered by the presence of the redheaded vampire hunter. She decided to ignore it and proceeded to pull out her books for their first class. The last two to enter the classroom just seconds before the tardy bell rang were Evangeline and Chachamaru.

_So that's the Dark Evangel then_, Ayaka thought, _and the girl next to her must be a bodyguard of some sort. I might have to rethink my plans then_.

* * *

><p>"You called for me Dean Konoe?" Negi inquired as he proceeded to sit in one of the lounge chairs in front of the older man's desk.<p>

"Indeed I have, Negi-kun," said man replied. "Starting today, you will have a teacher's aide with you in your classes. Will you introduce yourself, please?"

Negi turned to see of whom the Dean spoke about. He gazed in minor awe and admiration at the young man before him. He was fairly tall and carried a strong aura about him, though much of his features were hidden by a rather lengthy cloak. The boy had no need to realize that this newcomer was a vampire much like him. Approaching him, he extended his hand and said, "It is a pleasure to know that there are still more of our brethren that live. I am Nevyn Gil Springfield of Tregaron, Wales."

The other vampire took his hand and said, "A pleasure indeed, _Herr_ Springfield. I am Reinhart. Where I come from is of no great importance."

The Dean clapped his hands together and said, "Well, it seems you two will get along quite well. Now that we have that matter settled, there has been a change in Class A's schedule. Your English class will be the last course of the day for them followed by the homeroom period. That will give you two enough time to get used to working with each other for the rest of this year."

* * *

><p>Ayaka and her family often traveled abroad depending on the business needs of her father, so this was her first time attending a school in her birth country. Most school she had seen had the students move from room to room when changing classes. Here, however, the students remained in one classroom whilst the teachers came to them.<p>

The doors opened as the girls stood to greet their teacher. However, the person to enter the room was not Negi, but, rather, a man who looked to be about sixty years of age with thick glasses and peppered, graying hair. One of the girls, an athletic young woman with her medium-length black hair tied into a short ponytail, moaned out a little too loudly, "Oh no, it's the ogre."

The teacher turned to the girl in question. Pointing at the floor near the front desk, he called out in a harsh tone of voice, "I will have none of that talk from you, Akashi! Get up here and assume the seiza now!" Wordlessly, Yūna Akashi, the basketball star of the junior-high team, went to the front of the room and did as she was beckoned. Turning back to face the rest of the class, the older teacher said, "If any of you wishes to join her, then keep up with your attitudes!"

"Nitta-sensei," inquired Yue Ayase, "why is this class first now?"

"There was a sudden change of schedule mandated by the Dean, so your English class will be the last class of the day. Now turn your books to page 45 whilst Entheofushia-kun will go around to collect yesterday's homework."

This teacher was one Nitta Taichi, the Director of Academy External Activities and the head of the Math Department for the junior-high. Nitta had gained a reputation for being a strict disciplinarian and a rather harsh person in general. This had earned him the nickname of "Nitta the Ogre" by many of the students on campus. When it became apparent that a few of the girls had not turned in their homework, he proceeded to call them to the front and join Yūna in her punishment.

The rest of the classes tended to be similar with nothing of great interest occurring. Before long, the bell for the final class knelled. As the door opened, Nodoka Miyazaki called out, "Rise!" to which the girls did and immediately came to attention. As Negi entered the classroom, Ayaka sensed that he, too, was a vampire like Evangeline. While she remained calm on her exterior, she began to panic inwardly.

_This is not good! It would be so much easier with just two of them, and now there's a third one?_

"Bow!" called out the purple-haired librarian. As they bowed, the class called out, "Kon'nichiwa Negi-sensei!"

"Kon'nichiwa ladies," the young boy replied, bowing in the same. "Before we begin, I would like to take the opportunity to introduce a new student in our class: Yukihiro Ayaka-sama."

Calming her internal panic, the young woman stood up, bowed to the class, and said, "I am honored and privileged to be a part of this class and of Mahora Academy. I hope we can learn much about each other in this coming year."

The girls went into a short round of applause before Negi called out, "I apologize for any confusion caused by today's schedule. I was informed at the last minute as well, but with that, I would also like to introduce you to a person who will be my teacher's aide for the rest of the year."

The girls watched with bated breath as a cloaked figure entered the room. He turned toward the coat-rack, removed his cloak, and hung it before turning to face the class. A dreamy sigh went up from most of the girls at the sight of the young man before them. He had short, burgundy-red hair like the color of the rising sun. His well-built figure was adorned with loose yet snug, black and red fitting garb that one would wear on the weekend in the streets of Tokyo's many shopping districts. His piercing grey eyes scanned the class before he proceeded to bow and introduce himself.

"_Guten Tag_, ladies. I am Reinhart Fuerst from Germany. I will be assisting Springfield-sensei in his teaching duties for this class."

While most of the girls continued to admire the young man, Chizuru felt her face heat up in embarrassment, a sensation that was extremely alien to her. Many young men of her age had attempted to woo her with no success, yet she found herself drawn into this dark and mysterious character. However, other gears in one girl's brain were whirring and clicking. Kazumi Asakura had already found it odd that a child would be hired to teach a classroom of pubescent teenage girls, but now a young man who looked to be in his high-school years as his aide?

_I must research and get to the bottom of this incident. It could be the big story that I've been looking for all this time!_

Evangeline, who had been silently watching events unfold form her seat at the back of the class, tapped a finger to her chin in contemplative thought.

_So, you decide to show your face again after all these years…_

Ayaka began to panic even worse inside than she already had.

_Now there are four? How am going to complete my mission at this rate?_

Although she did not show her panic, her negative energy seemed to attract a few glances from her classmates, namely Setsuna, Asuna, Mana, a rather squinty-eyed looking young woman, and a blonde-haired Chinese girl. Although they only glanced in her direction, the ōkami had convinced herself that they were either on to her or knew what she was. Pushing all thoughts below the surface, she continued to pay attention to the lesson at hand.

As Negi and Reinhart took turns reciting pieces of the learner, they walked up and down the rows of seats. Ayaka nearly had a heart attack when Reinhart stood right next to her desk as he recited another line. She breathed a sigh of relief as he walked away but froze up as she swore to herself she heard the young man's voice say in a barely audible whisper, "You're being watched, Lycan." He then proceeded to parade up and down the rows before making his next pause next to Chizuru. Turning to her, he cleared his throat and said, "Would you care to read the next line for us Naba-kun?"

The motherly figure was blushing as red as a tomato at this request. This caused Haruna to call out, "This is a rare sight to see Chizuru-chan blushing at a boy!" The vampire turned around to her and gave her a light glare that would cause any mortal's blood to freeze. The bespectacled mangaka quailed in her seat as the red-haired young man replied, "Unless you wish to stand outside of the classroom with two pails of water weighing your arms down, I suggest you wait until you are called upon to speak. Am I understood?"

"Hai, Reinhart-sensei," the mangaka replied, nodding furiously in affirmation. Reinhart then turned to Chizuru and said, "You may continue, Naba-kun."

The rest of the lesson went on without much interruption or event although the motherly teenager couldn't get over the fact that the sudden object of her dormant affections called upon her to recite a part of the lesson. Even though her father had taught her a good amount of English, she found herself stumbling over some words. To even further her embarrassment, the young man had taken the time to assist her and gently correct her on her mistakes. In due time, both class and the homeroom period had come and gone as the final bell tolled, signaling the end of the day. As the girls filed out of the classroom, Negi called out, "Okay ladies, tonight I would like you to read pages 50-54 and answer the respective question in your workbooks."

"Hai Negi-sensei!" the class called out. In due time, the only ones that remained in the room were the four vampires and the vampire hunter. Reinhart looked up and noticed the blonde-haired girl and her green-haired guardian approach the desk. Once they had reached their destination, the blonde gave a look that seemed to be a mix of respect and indignation.

"_Es nett Sie zu sehen, Baron Reinhart von Faustus_," the vampire said, bowing her head slightly.

"_Gleichermaßen, Lady McDowell_," the elder vampire replied, returning her bow. Asuna looked between the two in shock.

"What's going on here?" the redhead demanded, "How do you two know each other? No more lies or secrets! I want the truth!"

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><p><strong>call911imbad:<strong> As always, thanks for your constant reviews. We always appreciate them.

_Es nett Sie zu sehen, Baron Reinhart von Faustus - _It's nice to see you, Baron Reinhart Faustus.

_Gleichermaßen, Lady McDowell - _Likewise, Lady McDowell.


	10. Of Wolf and Man, Part II

**A/N:** As we move forward into the New Year, Ghost Writer Orange-kun and I would like to thank all of you who have taken the time to read this story, and a special thanks to **call911imbad** for his/her continued reviews. After all, reviews are food for thought, so we encourage you to leave one if you have any criticism or merely enjoyed the story, have questions about certain issues or facts that come up, etc. So, without further ado, we present to you the next movement in the Dark Waltz.

**DISCLAIMER:**Mahou Sensei Negima is the property of Ken Akamatsu and all other respective proprietors. We do not own any part of the aforementioned manga. This story is merely our tribute to a wonderful manga/anime. Reinhart Faustus is sole property of Ghost Writer Orange-kun. Horacio Valdez de la Cuesta is property of me, magicafan1989.

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><p>IX. Of Wolf and Man, Part II<p>

"Otōsan, I can't do this! I can't do this!"

Ayaka had been sweating bullets since the end of classes. She had initially been under the impression that her mission was to be simple, but the presence of four vampires and a potential plethora of demon hunters made her begin to feel hopeless. Her father, once again, used that special tone of voice that always seemed to calm her down in her greatest times of distress.

"Ayaka, I've told you before that I have faith in you. It matters not how long the task takes to complete but that you do complete it. The council will not provide any help as they have deemed this a rite of passage for you."

"But why?" the teenager demanded, her panic rising in her. "Do they wish death upon me? Is this a part of some ruse to remove us from the clan by having me die? And after I die, they kill all of you?"

Takahiro Yukihiro kept his calm. He knew his daughter was intelligent, but he didn't realize how intelligent she truly was. Realizing it was her fear talking, the elder demon decided it was best not to confirm his daughter's fears and went to calm her down instead.

"Ayaka, listen to me. I know you fear the worst, but I cannot stress how important it is you keep your emotions at bay. If you keep panicking like this…"

He went deathly quiet as he heard the phone make impact with a surface of some sort. Then there was silence at the other end of the line.

"Ayaka? Ayaka! Ayaka!"

There was more silence, then the disconnect tone sounded. Takahiro closed his phone and closed his eyes, his fear being realized. Quietly, he mouthed a prayer, hoping to the Kami that his daughter wouldn't do something foolish.

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><p>Silence reigned in the small cottage as tea was quietly enjoyed by the four immortals and the one mortal that graced their presence. Chachamaru had suggested that they take their conversation to a more private area so as not to attract any of the other students' attention. However, there was not much conversation, causing the tension to be unduly thick. Reinhart inhaled deeply and decided to break the silence.<p>

"Very well then, Asuna Entheofushia; I shall tell you what you wish to know. I was born near the termination of the 10th Century to Andreas von Luitpolding of Bavaria and Wilhelmina von Gottlieb, also of Bavaria. Though my father's kin had lost control of the duchy years earlier, the people treated him as a nobleman. Much support gathered about him, and the people demanded that the House of Luxembourg relinquish the title and sovereignty of Bavaria to my father.

"As you can imagine," he continued, taking a sip from his tea, "the House of Luxembourg did not take a liking to the idea of losing control of the duchy. In order to keep their power, one of their kinsmen came to our residence whilst we slept. He forced poison into my father and mother. However, the sounds of their struggling awakened me. He fled before I got the chance to see who it was. Eventually, an ultimatum was sent to me by the House of Luxembourg. They demanded that I relinquish my father's surname and live the life of a peasant.

"In my anger, I sought out the aid of a mage of the old ways. He told me of a way that I could become even more powerful and find the man who killed my parents. I accepted his offer, so he subjected me to the ritual that turned me into a Shinso vampire. Eventually, I tracked down the man who was responsible and drained him of every last drop of blood. Realizing I had become something akin to a spawn of the devil, I went into hiding.

"In time, I came to discover my father's kinsmen from his mother's side: the Faustus family of Franconia. Seeing as I would be recognized by my surname, I took on that family name for my safety. One of my cousins, whom happened to be a mage much to my surprise, learned of the treachery of the House of Luxembourg. She promised to teach me in the ways of magic, but on the condition that I would not seek revenge upon the kinsmen of the man who was responsible. I agreed, and thus, I learned the art of magic. In my travels over the past millennium, I encountered many a mage and Shinso vampire that taught how to hone my newly acquired power and cultivate it even further. My principal element, I discovered, resides in the power of the earth.

"In regards to my acquaintance with Lady McDowell," he further continued, once again sipping at his tea, "we had met some two centuries ago. The initial encounter was… shall we say… less than amiable."

Evangeline proceeded to say, "It had been some hundred years or so since the Belmont family had raided Castle Dracula. Seeing as the great Count was missing, those of us who have no allegiance to any coven acted as we pleased. So, you can probably imagine what it would be like for me, the infamous _Maga Nosferatu_, and the equally infamous _Angelo Vindicta _to spar in combat."

Asuna nearly spat out her tea in shock. Quickly swallowing it, she replied, "So that's why your last name sounded so familiar. If you had told me sooner that you were the 'Angel of Vengeance', I would not have been so intent on finishing you off."

Recollection dawned on Negi's features as well. He had heard much about the vampire who, even though for a short time from an immortal standpoint, killed those of their brethren that turned or killed mortals for sport or as a means of revenge for living mortal lives. But he never dreamed or imagined that he would meet that vampire in his five-century lifespan. Even then, he was still slightly reeling a bit from the fact that he had fallen for one of the most notorious Vampire criminals in the world.

Deciding to break his silence, Negi inquired, "If you truly are the _Angelo Vindicta_, then you must be here to finish what you started with Lady McDowell?"

"_Nein_, young Negi," the elder vampire replied, "I am here per _Herr_ Konoe's request to keep watch over Lady McDowell and make sure that she doesn't bring harm to any of the students. However, he did mention that you, Milady," he stated, focusing his attention on Evangeline, "turned one of the students a few years ago. Could you care to explain that to me?"

Before the blonde girl could reply, Chachamaru spoke up in her defense.

"Evangeline had no choice, Faustus-dono. I was the victim of a rape and left for dead by my attackers. My chosen sister took it upon herself to save me from death and give me a new lease on life, regardless that it may be an eternal one. Because of that moment of compassion she showed, I owe her my life and will live it with her as a sister she never had."

Reinhart nodded his head slowly.

"I can see that you are very dedicated to protecting Lady McDowell, regardless that you are unskilled in magic of any kind."

"But what of you, Baron Faustus?" Evangeline inquired. "Do you still employ that pathetic worm of a vampire as your manservant?"

Asuna looked back toward the young man.

"Manservant?"

Directing his comment at the female vampire whilst gazing toward the redhead briefly, he replied, "That _worm_, as you call him, has changed much since you last met him. Though the circumstances of his employment are most unusual, he has become a very loyal member of our brethren and answers solely to me. He is not present because I have no need of his service at the moment. But when the time is right, I shall summon him here. Now, since we have all become a little better acquainted with each other and it has been some time since I've last fed, would you care to spare me some of the donated blood you have in your possession?"

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><p>"Nodoka, are you sure you can head out there on your own?"<p>

Nodoka pulled on a coat over her blazer and turned back toward the purple-haired girl that had spoken.

"I'll be fine, Yue," the young woman replied. "It's just that Yamamoto-senpai fell ill with a bad bout of pneumonia and was unable to perform closing duties at the library. So, I volunteered to take her place."

Haruna looked up from her studies, voicing the same concern that her friend had shown.

"I can go with you if you'd like, Honya. It looks to be bad weather brewing outside."

"I appreciate the offer, Paru, but I'm certain that I'll be okay."

Opening the door to their dorm room, she turned back and called out, "I'll be back in about an hour or two! Ittekimasu!"

As the door shut behind her, the black-haired mangaka turned to her purple-haired friend, a rare look of genuine concern crossing her features.

"I know she is a good person, but I truly do worry about her sometimes. She puts so much dedication into her work at the library that she puts her health at risk."

"After the rain, earth hardens,*" was all that Yue said before heading to the refrigerator and pulling out a small juice-box that appeared to be flavored with green tea and coconut. She punched a straw into the pouch and proceeded to drink the strange concoction. Haruna's face greened slightly before she busied herself with finishing up her studies for the evening. She knew that Yue was right; Nodoka had come a long way from when they first met her a few years earlier.

She had been the shy bookworm of the class and was often subject to ridicule by most of their classmates. However, she and Yue had come to her defense. In doing so, they forged an unbreakable bond of friendship that would come to weather any storm. No matter the countless amounts of ribbing that the mangaka did to her two friends, they always took it in stride and plowed ahead forward. Even then, it still didn't stop her from worrying for her friend.

_Kami-sama, please keep Nodoka safe_, the mangaka though in a silent prayer.

* * *

><p>Several rooms down, Chizuru Naba was finding it extremely difficult to concentrate on her studies. No matter how hard she tried to finish her assignments, her mind kept wandering back to their new teacher's aide. Even Natsumi noticed her unusual behavior. Concerned for her usually focused friend, she approached her and asked, "Chizu-nee, are you alright? You've been acting rather strange since English class."<p>

The shorter girl's question snapped the motherly teenager back to her senses. Shaking her head, she turned toward the freckled girl, replying in an insistent voice, "I'm fine, Natsumi-chan."

"It's about Reinhart-sensei, isn't it?"

The young woman felt her face heat up as she turned away from her friend in a failing attempt to hide her blush.

"I… I don't know what you're talking about."

Smiling knowingly, Natsumi decided to leave her friend alone and said, "Whatever you say Chizu-nee," and proceeded to read over some lines she had to study. After all, if she was to achieve her dreams as a Tony Award-winning performer, then she had to dedicate herself to the Theater Club. The young woman was thankful for the motherly Chizuru. When she doubted herself, she was always there to encourage her in her own unique, sometimes strange way. Now, maybe she would need to take the opportunity to encourage the one who was always there to encourage her.

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><p>"So what should we do about the Lycan in the classroom?" Reinhart inquired of the group as they continued to enjoy their tea and some small treats that had been prepared by Chachamaru. Even though the vampires' primary source of life was blood, they could still enjoy the taste of food despite the fact that it did nothing to satiate their hunger. Asuna, who had been feeling a bit peckish, chewed thoughtfully on some mochi as she replied, "Yukihiro-san is not a Lycan. She's actually an ōkami demon that can take human form, so we won't need to worry about her attacking anyone on a full moon."<p>

"However, if she were to undergo a great amount of emotional duress or panic suddenly," Chachamaru added, "she could lose focus and revert to her demon form. At that point, anyone could be in grave danger."

As if almost on cue, Reinhart, Evangeline, and Negi suddenly became alert, as did the green-haired vampire. Asuna knew that with their heightened senses, they could hear sounds that any mortal or normal human being couldn't pick up.

"What is it?"

Negi suddenly bolted for the door, calling back, "It sounded like it was one of the girls in our class! They're in trouble!"

The other four took off after the young vampire into the night. They tried to keep up, but he had already gained quite a bit of ground ahead of them. A few minutes later, they heard the boy's voice cry out, "Leave her alone! _Ras Tel Ma Scir Magister! Septendecim Spiritus Fulguralis Coèuntes Sagittent Inimicum Meum! Sagitta Magica: Series Fulguralis!_*" Bright light briefly illuminated the night sky before darkness consumed the area again. Soon, they came upon the young vampire who was stooped over a huddled form on the ground. The former exuded an aura of rage and anger.

"Shit!" he swore badly, "She got away!"

The smell of blood hit the group's nostrils as they neared him closer and closer. Asuna had seen many victims of horrible accidents, but she felt slightly weak and dizzy when she saw the victim of the attack.

"Oh Gods… Honya-chan!"

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><p><strong>AN****:** What Yue says here in response to Haruna is a Japanese idiomatic phrase. "After the rain, earth hardens" is the literal translation for 雨降って地固まる (Rōmaji: Ame futte ji katamaru) and can be translated to read as "Adversity builds character."

The translation for the spell Negi uses is "Seventeen spirits of thunder gather unto me and shoot my enemey! Magical Archer: a series of thunder!"


	11. Grave

**A/N: **Feel free to shoot me if you must for making you wait for so long and "copping" out with a short chapter. However, there is a purpose with these "Intermezzi". It may not be clear yet, but in time, you'll see their purpose. In the meantime, here is the first of several intermezzi that will appear in the story. Do not worry; they are directly involved in the plot development of this story.

**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own Mahou Sensei Negima or any of its related properties. All rights belong to Ken Akamatsu, Del Rey, Kodansha, and all other respective proprietors. Reinhart Faustus is property of Ghost Writer Orange-kun.

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><p><strong>Intermezzo I. Grave<strong>

What time was it?

A cloaked figure cursed slightly at their apparent lack of foresight as they woke from a rather fitful and uneasy slumber to gaze up. From the position of what could be seen of the moon in the bright lights of the bustling city, they judged the time to be somewhere in the vicinity of the twenty-third hour of the day approaching midnight. Drawing their cloak tighter about them, they stood up and continued trudging their way along the city streets. To any passerby, the cloaked figure looked like one of the many impoverished that wandered aimlessly in search for scraps of food or shelter from the blistering cold evening. However, their guesses couldn't be further from the truth. This person was on a mission, one that had occupied many years of their life.

Nighttime was perfect opportunity for the mysterious wanderer to carry out their work. It almost literally called for them to continue, despite the hardships they had endured. How long had it been since that one night years ago? How did they manage to survive where many of their brethren did not? These were questions that kept playing over and over in their mind over the past many years. So entrenched they had become in their thoughts and musings that the sudden pang in their throat took them by surprise.

The figure knew this meant that they would need to feed soon. However, this character had principles that ofttimes interfered with their basic survival instincts. Magic alone could only sustain them for so long before the need for fresh blood would overtake them. It had been too long since they had last fed, and they knew that time was against them before the thirst would take over their better judgment. Moving with the utmost haste, the cloaked figure prayed that some low-life or petty criminal would come meandering their way.

Opportunity presented itself in the form of a ragged man who smelled of blood. Some innocent had died by this criminal's hands that evening. The figure pursued from a distance to make sure that their victim would lead them where prying eyes could not witness the justice they would deliver. However, the smell of decaying flesh hit their nostrils. A kindred soul had picked up the scent, and now the hunt was on. The newcomer's decay was not strong. This told the figure that they were more than likely a fledgling on their first hunt without their sire. The figure scoffed inwardly. The Pure-bloods were far outnumbering the Shinso. How did it come to be like this?

Pushing their thoughts aside, the cloaked figure began to increase their speed. In a matter of seconds they had outpaced the fledgling and closed in on the retreating figure. Their ears picked up the sound of sirens; it would not be long before the authorities would begin spreading out and find their target. The figure knew they had to act fast. Putting on an extra burst of speed, they closed the distance between them and the fleeing criminal. Grabbing ahold of his shirt, they pulled him down a dark alley that sheltered them from view. The man took out a switchblade and attempted to stab his captor, but the stranger quickly disarmed him.

"You would dare take the life of one that you did not create?" the figure whispered in a low and dangerous tone of voice. The criminal's blood froze upon hearing the voice as all strength left him. He dropped to his knees and began blubbering, "Please, I beg you, don't turn me in! They'll kill me!"

"I won't turn you in."

The man sighed in relief, his body racking with sobs of slight relief.

"I will make you suffer a fate worse than death."

The man began to cry out, but his voice felt suppressed by some unseen force.

"Don't bother. No one can hear your screams of anguish."

The figure lowered their hood, revealing a middle-aged man with long, silvery hair and an unkempt beard and mustache. The criminal felt his throat dry and his mouth clam up as his captor opened his mouth, revealing two fangs.

"I normally don't sate my thirst with fresh blood," the man said, his voice laced with an unidentifiable accent, "but in your case, I can make an exception."

Before he could sink his fangs into his victim, the vampire felt the presence of the fledgling nearby. Turning his head slightly, he spotted the young vampire, who's eyes were glazed over lust. Making a mental note to locate the sire later, he said in a commanding tone of voice, "Stay thyself, young one. This kill is mine."

"Not if I can help it," the fledgling said as she rushed the elder vampire. The criminal watched in a mix of awe and horror as his captor removed one of his hands from his grip and made a mild gesture at the oncoming woman. A sheet of ice materialized out of thin air and encompassed the fledgling, effectively encasing them in a frozen statue. At the snap of his fingers, the elder vampire shattered the fledgling into millions of tiny pieces. That would be the last thing the criminal would see as he felt his neck pierced by fangs and blacked out from the sudden loss of blood.

Standing up and wiping his lips, the vampire felt the thirst leave him. Waving his hand over the dried-up man, he obscured the bite marks. After making sure his spell had done its job, he lowered the field of magic he had conjured to muffle his victim. Drawing his cloak about him, he melted into the shadows in search of the vampire that was senselessly turning other innocents. He made it a personal mission to make this imbecile know whom it was he or she would be dealing with.

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><p>An <strong>intermezzo<strong>, in musical terms, is as implied: a short movement between the main movements of a piece of music or an opera.

**Grave** (prounouced grah-vay) is a written measure of tempo dicatating that a piece of music be played slowly and solemnly.


	12. A Matter of Life and Death

**A/N:** A huge thank you for all who have visited this story and taken the time to read this work. As always, reviews are encouraged, whether it be a critique, a compliment, or a question if you are confused about something. So, let us dive right into the next movement in the Dark Waltz.

**DISCLAIMER: **Neither I nor Ghost Writer Orange-kun own Mahou Sensei Negima or any other related items therein. All rights belong to Ken Akamatsu and all other respective proprietors. Reinhart Faustus is property of Ghost Writer Orange-kun. Horacio Valdez de la Cuesta is owned by me.

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><p>X. A Matter of Life and Death<p>

"Oh Gods… Honya-chan!"

The sight that befell the group was enough to even make the strongest of stomach feel sick enough to pass out. The once beautiful young woman was now a bloody mess. Her school uniform was in tatters, her skin lacerated and torn in many places. Yet, despite all odds, there were still signs of a heartbeat. Asuna quickly went to work in patching up the young woman as best as she could with what healing magic she knew. In a matter of moments, the surface lacerations were healed, leaving behind no evidence of the attack. However, she knew that the young woman was not completely healed.

"I can't do anything more for her," she said in a half-defeated tone of voice. "Healing surface wounds is the extent of my abilities. The internal wounds are too complex for me to repair."

"But we cannot consign her to death," Negi replied, his voice still laced with anger and a bit of sorrow. "She has so much life left ahead of her. Are you sure there isn't anything you can do?"

"Negi," Asuna replied, "I've already told you there is nothing I can do."

"But there might be something _you_ can do, Negi," Evangeline ventured to say. "But before I go forward with my suggestion, we should get the girl somewhere safe. I would have to say that she has no more than a half-hour of life left in her."

Moving as quickly and as carefully as they could, the vampires and the vampire hunter carried the dying girl back to the cottage, all in the window of a few minutes. They laid Nodoka across the young vampire's bed and covered her with some warm bed-sheets in an attempt to make the dying girl as comfortable as possible. The young boy turned back to the blonde and inquired, "So what was this idea you had in mind?"

"I'm not sure if you will like it—and I know that _you _won't approve, Entheofushia, but turning her is the only way to save her from death now."

"I can't do that to her," the young boy said resolutely. "How is consigning her to a life of immortality better than her dying at a young age?"

"But what about us? We've learned to cope with this immortality that we've received, whether it was by our own choice or not. You said she has so much life left in her? Then let her have the chance to live that life and so much more."

"I cannot say that I wholly agree with the idea either," Asuna added, "but I have to admit that what the 'Dark Evangel' proposes may be the only choice left."

Negi felt helpless. He wanted nothing more than for the young woman to live out her life and dreams, but yet he didn't want to consign her to immortality. Turning to the eldest of the vampires present, he asked, "What would you do Baron Faustus?"

Reinhart turned away from him, saying, "What I would do and what you must do are two separate things, young Negi. The choice is not mine; it is ultimately yours to make."

It was not the answer that Negi was looking for. Rather, it only made his internal struggle worse. In the midst of his musings, a memory that had been long forgotten came to the surface of the vampire's subconscious. It was that of the day he bid his father farewell and the words of advice that had been given to him.

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><p><em>The young boy had just finished packing what he would need for his journey and a few personal mementos that were dear to him. He lifted the small sack and slung it over his shoulders before heading toward the door that would lead to his future.<em>

"_Nevyn," he heard his father call out to him, "come for a moment before you embark."_

_He turned around and saw the graying man standing near the back door that led to the pastures that had become his way of life. The young boy walked back to where his father stood. Kneeling down, the farmer clasped his hands around his sons'. The boy felt something pressed into them. Curious as to what it could be, he slowly withdrew from his father's gentle grasp and gazed upon the small trinket. It was a pendant made out of a small piece of smooth granite. It was painted a vibrant blue with an engraving of the word 'Love' in the runic characters of the Norse tongue. Some small fragments of painted glass bordered the engraving, making it sparkle like the rarest of gems._

_To anyone who had not lived a life of luxury or that of the nobility that governed them, this mundane trinket was the most prized of possessions as it showed the maker's care and dedication to their craft. His curious gaze met his father's eyes, the latter beginning to show unshed tears._

"_What is this, father?"_

"_That pendant was something I made for your mother when we first met. I had used it to woo her," he chuckled. "It was something she held dear to her heart. Before she died, she asked me to give this to you when you would set off to find the girl of your dreams. I know you may never have that opportunity now, but let it be a symbol for you that even after I have gone to sit with our great Father at the eternal banquet, your mother and I are always with you."_

_At this point, the young boy began crying. He closed the distance between the two and embraced the older man tightly._

"_I don't want this life! I want to live a normal life, to care for you when you can no longer care for yourself!"_

_Holding his son tight to him, Diarmad Springfield shed the tears that gathered in his eyes._

"_Listen to me, Nevyn," he said, "you have a gift that many would consider to be cursed. You have the opportunity to watch the world change and to see how far we go into the future. Whether that change is good or bad remains to be seen. This gift has given you a life that you would never have had. It was hard for me to do, but I chose to let you have something that you can treasure for eternity. Please, do as I ask of you: live this life to the fullest extent of your new abilities. Treasure every connection you make, even if it is but for a few days. Let them power you on through good times and bad. And if someone you meet ends up in the same situation as you, then I want you to pass on your gift to them as well."_

* * *

><p>A single tear made its way down the young vampire's cheek. He remembered the promise that his father asked him to make, and it was then that he decided what he would do. Turning to the one whom he would eventually entrust his heart to, he asked, "What do I need to conduct the ritual?"<p>

Evangeline headed toward the stairs leading into the ground floor as she called back, "I'll gather what you need. Use your magic to draw a runic circle around the bed."

Negi the closed his eyes and held his and upward, softly incanting, "_Ras Tel Ma Scir Magister_!" He was soon enshrouded by a bluish aura which slowly dispersed and began to write the runic circle on the ground around the bed. It was only a short matter of time before the circle was completed. He turned as the young blonde came up from the ground floor with a goblet and some candles in her hands. Handing Negi the goblet, she put the candles at six points around the circle. Muttering a short incantation, she imbued the candles with the ability to adhere to any magical power they came into contact with. This caused the circle to shine brighter as the candles became connected by magical energy, forming the shape of a hexagram within the circle.

Asuna watched this in awe whilst Reinhart merely observed without so much as moving an inch. Negi then took a small knife from Evangeline and cut his wrist, letting his blood flow into the goblet. When the goblet was nearly full, he set it down and clasped his hand over the wound. His natural regenerative abilities healed the laceration rather quickly, thus allowing him to proceed. Taking the goblet, he slowly brought it to Nodoka's lips. Tilting her head up with his free hand so that she would not choke, he slowly poured his life source into her mouth. Instinctively, the girl's muscles forced her to swallow the liquid; albeit slowly as her condition had left her severely weakened. When the goblet was drained, he then let his instinct take over and began to incant the words to the ritual, his voice slipping into his native tongue.

The redhead suddenly became lightheaded. Without warning, she began to fall backwards as a vision plagued her head.

* * *

><p>"<em>Are you positively sure? You do realize that there is no going back if I proceed with this."<em>

"_I was ready the moment I came to you about this process. Soon, I will have the power to help the people fight back against our oppressors and lead them to great glory."_

_The mage looked at the young woman and shook his head. She was ambitious for one so young, but if she believed she could take up the challenge, then who was he to deny her that privilege. With that in mind, he opened a small cabinet and withdrew a bottle of dark crimson liquid. Pouring it into a chalice, he then handed it to her with the words, "Very well then. But you must be prepared for whatever consequences may befall you with this life you will lead."_

* * *

><p>"Asuna<em>,<em> are you alright?" Reinhart inquired as he slowly steered her toward a chair. The young woman realized then that he had caught her and saved her from hitting her head against the floor.

"I'm okay," she said, "I just got lightheaded, but I'm fine now."

Shrugging with resignation, the elder vampire proceeded to turn back and watch as the ritual reached its conclusion. With a bright flash, the circle vanished into a shower of glittering orbs that slowly fizzled into nothingness. Negi felt weak and suddenly fell backward, but Evangeline was there to catch him from his fall. Turning to Chachamaru, she said, "Get me some blood. He needs to feed." The green-haired vampire bowed and quickly proceeded down the stairs. A short moment later, she reappeared with a bag of blood in her hands. Taking it from her chosen sister, the young girl punctured the bag with her fangs and held it to the young boy's mouth. Instinctively, he latched onto it and drank greedily, slaking his thirst and replenishing his spent energy.

Asuna watched with mild amusement as boy drained the bag empty before falling into a short slumber. Tossing the plastic into a nearby trashcan, the _Maga Nosferatu_ kissed Negi lightly on the forehead, the latter smiling subconsciously in reaction.

"Rest well, my love," Evangeline said in a motherly tone of voice that was quite unbecoming of her. "In time, you will need to fully initiate our new sister into the new life that she has been given.

* * *

><p>Nodoka could barely remember what had happened. In her mind, she saw herself walking down the pathway that led to Library Island. Then, what happened next was almost too fast for her to clearly recall. She remembered feeling intense pain as something assaulted her before she blacked out. Suddenly, a sharp burning assaulted her throat. She woke up and began screaming out for help. In her pain, she heard a familiar voice say, "Nodoka-san, over here."<p>

She turned to see her teacher sitting next to her. He rolled up one of his sleeves and presented a bared arm to her. She would recall what came over her later as her purple eyes glazed over. With a lightning fast movement, she latched onto the arm and inserted her fangs into it. The warmth and metallic tang of the blood that she drew began to null the pain as she drank. Minutes later, the burning had been reduced to a numbing pain. Satisfied, she released her hold only to recoil in horror.

"What did I just do now? What's happening to me?" she asked, her voice betraying her fear. Negi calmly replied, "I hope you're ready to handle the conversation we're about to have…"

* * *

><p>Ayaka Yukihiro had felt pain before and learned to endure it to great extents. Nothing, however, could compare to the agony she had felt not but an hour earlier. The ōkami had reverted back to her human form and was currently staked out in a small grove of sakura trees nursing the burns that had been inflicted upon her. Her muscles ached and twitched in protest at every move she made. Using her Ki, she began to heal the burns until they had all but vanished. Slowly and shakily, she stood up and began to quietly make her way back to the dorms, all the while berating herself for what she had done.<p>

_Father warned me that this would happen if I let my emotions get the better of me_, she thought. _And now I may have drawn down the ire of those vampires. I'll just feign illness so I don't have to be in their midst. But then they might wise up and hunt me down regardless. I'll just go in and hope they don't mutilate me for what I did. I hope that girl died a quick death so she wouldn't be in agony for the last minutes of her life._

Realizing her clothing was still stained with the blood of her victim, she made her way to the dorms with as much haste as possible so she could dispose of the evidence and clean up. Several minutes later after dodging past the student patrols, the blonde teenager managed to make her way into the room she shared with Natsumi and Chizuru. Thanking the kami that they were both heavy sleepers, she quickly changed into a pair of casual clothing and proceeded to head to the bath house.

Once again counting her blessings at the sight of the empty, vast, steam-filled room, she concentrated her Ki and lit fire to her blood-soaked garments. It only took minutes for the cloth to burn away to ash. She promptly swept it up and disposed of it in a nearby waste receptacle before heading into the showers and furiously scrubbed herself to remove the caked blood off of her skin. As she left, she bumped into a chocolate-haired girl that was just entering the bathroom. The figure backed away slightly and bowed in apology.

"Gomen ne, Yukihiro-sama," Konoka said, "I didn't see you there."

"It's nothing to worry about, Konoka-san," the teenager replied, "What brings you here this time of night?"

"I just felt the need to spruce up a bit," the cheerful girl stated before inquiring, "By the way, have you seen Asuna or Reinhart-san? Oh, silly me, they must be on patrol right now. Anyhow, oyasumi nasai."

"Oyasumi nasai," Ayaka said in like before she hastily made her way back to her room. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but the wealthy young woman seemed a bit nervous to Konoka. Thinking nothing of it, she hummed to herself as she proceeded to bathe, unknowingly under the watchful gaze of her closest friend.

_If that ōkami brings any harm upon Konochan, there will be hell to pay_.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Though the ritual for turning a mortal into a Shinso vampire is not mentioned in the manga, I did some research about various methods that vampires were said to have used to turn their victims and used the one that would seem to be the most likely one used. The bit with the candles was an addition of my own. As always, many thanks to **call911imbad** for his/her continued reviews.


	13. As We Forgive Our Debtors

**A/N:** Again, Ghost Writer Orange-kun and I would like to thank everyone who has visited this story so far. And as always, a huge thanks to **call911imbad** to his/her continued reviews. Feel free to leave any comments, concerns, critiques, etc. as they will help us better the story for your enjoyment. So, without further ado, we introduce the next movement in the _Dark Waltz_.

**DISCLAIMER:** Mahou Sensei Negima is property of Ken Akamatsu and all other respective proprietors. Reinhart Faustus is property of Ghost Writer Orange-kun. I, magicafan1989, own all rights to Horacio Valdez de la Cuesta. The Belmont clan of the _Castlevania _franchise belongs to Nintendo, Inc.

* * *

><p>XI. As We Forgive Our Debtors<p>

"So, I'm a vampire then," Nodoka stated after hearing her young teacher explain what had happened to her and the process he carried out in order to save her life. The young boy nodded as he handed her small glass of fresh blood, saying, "Sip this slowly. It will begin to help your body adjust and learn to survive for extended periods without feeding."

The purple-haired girl took the cup and proceeded to sip at her new source of life. The dull pain in her throat from earlier began to disappear as she slowly took the drink. Setting the cup aside, she turned to her sire.

"What does this mean for me then?" she inquired. "If I've read any material regarding vampires correctly, will I have to leave the class because of my new intolerance to sunlight?"

"I'm not sure what sort of tomes the library has on vampires," Chachamaru replied, "But there are ways to develop resistance to sunlight. Normally it would take years, but Evangeline helped me achieve this in a matter of days."

"And I shall help you to do so," the blonde girl replied as she sat herself down next to the young boy, "But with your new powers, you have the means to avenge yourself upon the demon who mutilated you and nearly destroyed your life."

Nodoka shook her head.

"_Sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris*_," she replied. "However, I do wish to assist in stopping them before they bring harm to any of my other classmates."

Shrugging, the _Maga Nosferatu_ continued with saying, "Very well. As far as your training in developing a resistance to sunlight, we'll have to come up with some reason that the old man will believe."

"As a teacher and a member of his staff," Negi stated, "it's my duty to inform Dean Konoe of what transpired and that I took it upon myself to save Nodoka-san's life. I'm sure that he'll be understanding and can provide a reasonable alibi to sate the girls' curiosity. Evangeline, do you have a telephone in here?"

As the young girl lead the teacher to the living room where item that he sought was located, Nodoka sighed, "I only hope that Haruna and Yue aren't dying with worry about me right now."

* * *

><p>"This is unnerving. It usually doesn't take Nodoka this long to close up the library."<p>

Haruna knew she couldn't do much to calm her friend down who was now nervously pacing back and forth across their dorm. She too was beginning to become extremely worried. Under normal circumstances, it usually took their book-loving friend about two hours or so to close down the large library. However, it had already been three hours with no sign of her or any word from her. Pulling out her cellphone, she said, "I'll try to get ahold of Konoka. Since Īnchō is with the Student Patrol, she can call her and ask if she has seen Nodoka or to keep an eye out for her."

Yue continued her vigilant pacing as the black-haired mangaka began to dial the dean's granddaughter. If no one could get any information on the whereabouts of Nodoka, something potentially dangerous could have happened. Panic was usually something she never felt, but tonight seemed to be an exception. A large list of "what-if" scenarios began to play in her head: What if some crook mugged her and stole her valuables? What if she had been assaulted and left to die? What if someone kidnapped her? The scenarios became too much for the philosopher. Throwing caution to the wind, she grabbed a coat, threw it over her casual clothing, and charged out the door as Haruna called after her, "Yuecchi! Yuecchi get back here!"

"Paru, what's going on?" Konoka's voice inquired.

"Look, Konoka-san, just text me when Īnchō replies," the mangaka responded before hanging up and tearing out after Yue all the while calling after her. Though the purple-haired philosopher had gotten a head-start, she was not entirely athletic. This gave Haruna the opportunity to catch up and grab her friend by the collar of her jacket.

"Let me go Paru!" the young woman demanded.

"And let you hurt yourself? I think not," the mangaka replied. "Have faith in Īnchō. She's not a member of the Student Patrol just for the hell of it. Konoka will let us know. Okay? The worst that could have happened is that she found a book that suited her fancy and decided to read it for a while before closing up shop. Let's just go back to the dorm and wait for Konoka to respond."

Yue, deciding it was not worth the energy to try to escape the clutches of her good, albeit unusual, friend turned around and headed back to their dorm.

"I hope you're right Haruna," the young woman said.

* * *

><p>"I just got off the phone with Dean Konoe," Negi announced as he and Evangeline returned from the living room. "He wasn't entirely enthused about what I did, but he did understand I acted upon what I felt was the right thing to do. His idea is to tell the class that Nodoka-san contracted a bad bout of pneumonia and that due to its progression she was moved to a hospital off-campus. The 'location' will not be disclosed as she is not to be disturbed during her healing process."<p>

"But what about her parents?" Reinhart inquired. "How will we tell them this alibi without mounting any suspicion?"

"Truthfully," Nodoka responded, "My parents were killed in a car accident when I was five years old. I went to live with my grandmother here in Mahora. She died a few years ago, so I ended up living on campus thanks to Dean Konoe's generosity. However, I had become withdrawn. Books became my only escape from the harsh reality that had manifested about me. Because of this, I was teased and bullied often. That was when I met Haruna and Yue. They came to my defense and helped me open up a bit more. That's why I'm worried that they would come looking for me and be attacked by whatever attacked me."

A beeping sound went off in the room as Asuna reached into her pocket. Retrieving her cellphone, she opened it and read the message that was displayed on the screen.

"Uh-oh. It looks like Haruna asked Konoka to get ahold of me regarding your whereabouts Honya-chan."

"Tell her that you'll keep an eye out," Reinhart suggested. "It should be enough to satisfy them for the time being."

"Already doing that," the redhead replied as she furiously began to dial away at her phone. The young man then fixed his grey eyes upon the purple-haired fledgling and said, "It surprises me that a new initiate such as you hasn't blanched at the stench of death that lingers about our kind."

"Honestly, I never even really noticed it," Nodoka replied. However, she quickly retracted that remark as she clamped a hand to her mouth and nostrils, replying, "However, _that_ is something I _can't_ ignore."

Reinhart sniffed the air, identifying the offending odor that had assailed the fledgling's nostrils. It was definitely that of another vampire. This one, however, was far older than him, probably by a few hundred years. With each passing moment, the stench began to become even more overpowering to the point of nausea for a mortal. The gentle patter of feet walking up the porch stairs drew the attention of all in the room. Shortly thereafter, a knock sounded. Chachamaru proceeded to stand up and walk toward the front door. Opening it slightly, her eyes fell upon the newcomer, a young girl with her long red hair tied back into twin pigtails by two yellow bows.

Bowing slightly, the green-haired vampire said, "Welcome, sister of the blood. Do you wish to seek refuge from someone or something that lurks about here?"

"Спасибо*," the girl replied, her voice laced with a thick Slavic accent that caused Negi to perk up slightly, "but I am not seeking refuge from anyone or anything for that matter. Rather, I so happened to be traversing the area when the familiar smell of death came to my attention. So, I traced it to this location and confirmed my suspicions that some of my brethren resided here. If it will not trouble you, I would like to be your guest for a night or two and be on my way."

Chachamaru was about to respond when she felt a small body nudging her slightly. Looking down, she saw her teacher and "brother" motioning for her to kindly step aside. Bowing her head, she proceeded back to the dining area as Negi took her place at the door. A wide grin spread across the young vampire's features as he greeted the newcomer.

"Рад тебя видеть, Анастасия Юрьевна Соколова.*"

The girl smiled the same as the young boy. Walking forward, she chuckled merrily as she embraced him, saying, "Радa тебя видеть, Неги Спрингфилд.*"

Curiosity finally got the better of the small group. They stood up and proceeded toward the door as Negi showed the newcomer in. Taking notice of the entourage, the young vampire bowed her head slightly and said, "A pleasure to meet you all. I am Anastasia Yurievna Cocolova of Moscow, but you may call me Anya."

Reinhart walked forward and extended his hand.

"Reinhart Faustus of Bavaria," he said as the young Anya took his hand and shook it. "You wouldn't happen to be Dame Cocolova, one of the consorts of our great Count?"

Anya put her hands up and responded, "Guilty as charged. And you are the infamous _Angelo Vindicta_. We've met once before, some few hundred years ago…"

"…at the Great Ball; I remember you very well. Tell us, what news of the Count do you bring to us?"

As the young girl began to relate to the Vampires the fate of their leader, Asuna began to feel another dizzy spell coming on, another vision plaguing her senses.

* * *

><p>"<em>So, the great and powerful Siress of Athens falls this day. It will be my utmost pleasure to observe what our great and noble Count has in store for you, traitor."<em>

_The bruised and battered young woman looked up at her captor; a look of malicious victory on the latter's face. Though she had been caught off guard and now bore dozens of wounds that would take time to heal, she showed neither fear nor defeat. Rather, she stared with intense hatred at the vampire that stood before her. Her vision went white as an armored foot connected with her face. She fell flat as her arms gave out due to the force of the impact. _

"_Chain her up, and make sure she can't escape. I'm sure our Count will not let her off this time."_

_As she heard the clanking footsteps of two soldiers approach, she reflected on where she went wrong. Victory was assured to be hers and hers alone, yet somehow the Order seemed to be much more of a challenge than she had anticipated. Her brethren had been slaughtered, and her right hand man had abandoned her when she spoke to him of her plans. Perhaps it was he who tipped off the Order to her intentions._

_She felt four arms haul her up violently and with no care. Her body felt weaker as silver-laced steel shackles bound her arms behind her. One of the guards roughly grabbed her head and held it up so that she could face the eyes of her tormentor. The girl grinned maliciously before walking next to her and seizing an arm and muttering a complex incantation. The incantation failed, causing the girl to curse vehemently. However, she then chuckled as she realized that with her arms bound, her prisoner would not be able to cast magic. The young woman could only await the temporary black of unconsciousness as the girl brought her boot back and then forward for the knockout blow._

* * *

><p>Shaking her head, Asuna brought herself back to reality as Evangeline said, "So, there is no news of our Count then. Mayhap he perished at the hands of the Belmont family that fateful night so long ago."<p>

"That may be, but that family has ceased to be," Anya replied. "Though it does beg the question why you are party with one who is a descendant of the Entheofushia family."

"Asuna Kagurazaka-Entheofushia has, though she may be an 'enemy' of our kind, sworn fraternity with me," Reinhart replied. "She is now an ally through blood oath so that she may learn more about us and come to understand us better."

The redheaded teenager thought that no one had noticed her momentary spell of vertigo. However, Negi looked at her and inquired, "Are you feeling well Asuna-san? You look like you could use a bit of a rest."

"I'm fine," she insisted as Anya became acquainted with the newest member of the Vampire race. However, she kept playing the visions she had been plagued by over and over in her head.

_What do they mean? And why am I getting them?_

* * *

><p>"Asuna said she'd keep an eye out for Nodoka-chan. She and Reinhart-sensei will be heading toward the library for the next leg of their patrol."<p>

"Arigatō Konoka-san," Haruna's voice responded before the dial tone sounded. Sighing, she leaned back against her bunk. A knocking came at the door to which the chocolate-haired heiress replied, "Come in."

The door opened revealing her childhood friend.

"Is everything okay Konochan?" Setsuna asked, closing the door behind her.

"Hai," the young woman replied as the warrior sat down next to her. "I'm just mildly concerned about Nodoka-chan. It seems that she hasn't returned from the library for closing duties."

"Nodoka-san is a brave young woman. I'm sure she will be fine."

"And you are just as brave Secchan," replied the young woman as she leaned over and kissed the warrior on the cheek and snuggled next to her. Setsuna's face turned a light shade of pink as she thought, _I'm not sure how much more teasing I'm going to be able to handle_. Absentmindedly, she began stroking Konoka's hair whilst inquiring, "Have you thought much about your future Konochan?"

"My future… I can't say that I have. What about you Secchan?"

As she continued to stroke her friend's hair, she answered, "It is my own wish, and that of your father, that I watch over you."

Konoka turned to face the warrior, a puzzled look in her eyes.

"But what if I were to get married? What would you do then?"

"I would take it upon myself to safeguard you and your family," the raven-haired warrior responded resolutely, "so that no harm may befall you, your spouse, or your children."

"But Secchan," the young woman pressed on, "Isn't there something you would like to do with your life besides watching me? And if something horrible were to happen to me, what would you do then?"

"Konochan," Setsuna responded ever more resolutely, "I love you enough that I would give my life for you." Suddenly realizing what she had just said, she turned a bright shade of red. Shutting her eyes tightly, she turned her face away in hopes that her friend would think of it as platonic love. Konoka, however, knew better than that. She brought her hand up and cupped the warrior's cheek in it, gently turning Setsuna's face toward her. Deciding to test the waters a bit, she leaned forward.

The warrior gasped slightly as she felt Konoka's soft lips press against her own. However, she did not resist nor withdraw. Rather, she felt the love that her childhood friend put in that moment and reciprocated that feeling. After a few moments, they parted for air and panted gently, Konoka's eyes radiating sincerity and tenderness.

"I love you too Setsuna."

They pressed their lips together again briefly before Konoka snuggled even closer to the warrior and began to doze off. Reaching behind her and pulling blanket down, Setsuna wrapped them both in the blanket. As she embraced the chocolate-haired girl, she knew that in her mind she wouldn't want it any other way. Kissing her forehead, the warrior whispered, "Oyasumi nasai, my sweet princess." Soon, sleep overcame the newfound lovers as the silver light of the moon shone upon them through the window.

* * *

><p><em>Lexicon:<em>

_Sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris_ - Nodoka is quoting a part of the Lord's Prayer in Latin. This particular line translates to "As we forgive our debtors."

Спасиб (Romanized: _Spasibo_) - Russian for "Thank you."

Рад* тебя видеть, Анастасия Юрьевна Соколова (Romanized: _Rad tebya videt', Anastasiya Yur'evna Sokolva._) - Russian for "It's nice to see you, Anastasia Yurievna Cocolova.

Радa* тебя видеть, Неги Спрингфилд. (Romanized: _Rada tebya videt', Negi Springfild._) - Russian for "It's nice to see you, Negi Springfield.

**A/N:** The only difference between the way Negi and Anya greet each other is that Negi uses the masculine form of the Russian word for glad (Paд) whilst Anya uses the feminine form (Paдa)_._


	14. Unfinished Business

**A/N:** As one great adventure comes to its close, new ones will still remain to come in the hearts and minds of the fans. With three chapters remaining in the main universe of Negima, I would like to thank Ken Akamatsu for the great adventure that has caught many a person's eye and fascinated us from the get go. As the saying goes, all good things must end. However, this Alternate Universe still has plenty of life left in it. Ghost Writer Orange-kun and I would like to thank **call911imbad**for his/her continued support of this endeavor. So, without further ado, here is the 12th Movement in the _Dark Waltz_.

**DISCLAIMER:** Mahou Sensei Negima is property of Ken Akamatsu and all respective proprietors. Reinhart Faustus is property of Ghost Writer Orange-kun. Horacio Valdez de la Cuesta is owned by me. The Belmont clan and any other references to _Castlevania_ belong to Nintendo, Inc.

* * *

><p>XII: Unfinished Business<p>

Silence reigned supreme in the small cottage. It was shortly after two in the morning, and the occupants were quietly reflecting on the evening's events. The only sound that could be heard was that of Nodoka slowly drinking from her cup of blood every few minutes or so. Before long, the little clock in the living room struck the third hour of the day.

"Well," Asuna said in failing attempt to stifle a yawn, "it's getting late, so I should probably be getting back to the dormitories." She then stood up and stretched out before picking up her bag. She put on her coat and wrapped a scarf about her neck before turning back toward her coworker and roommate.

"Are you coming, Reinhart-san?"

As the red-haired young man prepared to stand up, the newcomer intervened in saying, "Actually Ms. Entheofushia, there is a matter that I must discuss _alone_ with Baron Faustus."

Getting the verbal hint, the redhead merely nodded and said, "I'll go on ahead then," and proceeded to shut the door behind her. Wordlessly, the other four vampires in the room stood up and proceeded to head to the upper level of the cottage, leaving the German noble and the Russian girl alone in the living room. To ensure that no one would eavesdrop on their conversation, the vampire closed her eyes and raised her hand up slightly.

"_Fortis La Tius Lilith Lilioth_," the girl incanted before waving her hand about. Reinhart knew about the spell she was using: a barrier that would cause anyone who was within a several feet of their present location to hear a low buzzing sound rather than intelligible conversation. However, as he expected of a vampire her age, she managed to cast it without so much as muttering a word of the incantation. Once her work was finished, she refocused her attention on the matter at hand.

"Please," Anya stated, gesturing toward one of the reclining chairs in the room, "have a seat good sir." Wordlessly, the vampire did as he was beckoned and took his seat whilst the elder vampire began to walk back and forth in front of him.

"There must be a reason why you are here," he observed. "A vampire of such esteemed position like yourself would not have _happened_ to be venturing nearby."

"You are correct in your observation. It had been my objective to locate you as we had some unfinished business from the night of the Grand Ball over three centuries ago. Your manservant, Kotarō Inugami, informed me that you had left your residence back in Germany to come here to the Mahora District on some sort of official business request by the current elder of the Kantō Magic Association."

"My initial business here," the addressee responded, "was to merely monitor the activities of the _Maga Nosferatu_ and the young vampire that he was hiring to teach here lest they attempted to use the students for feeding. However, recent events have superseded that duty. "

"I see," the young girl replied before stopping in front of Reinhart. "Now, the reason I had requested your presence at the Grand Ball was in regards to your request to join the Order of Dracula. I submitted your request to the Count as per standard protocol. Now, the Count wished to meet with you after the festivities, but due to the events that transpired, not even I know whether he is still alive or not."

The elder vampire's statements confirmed the young man's suspicions about her true position within the upper echelons of the Transylvanian Coven. Though Lady Cocolova was a Shinso who did not align herself to any particular coven, her allegiance, like his and all other free-spirited vampires, was to Dracula and solely Dracula alone.

The seal of the Order of Dracula was given to those deemed worthy enough by the Count himself to serve him as his personal consortium and guards when he traveled about. It had been his dream to become a member of the privileged consortium, but he also knew that many would submit requests and be denied. But what puzzled him at the present time pertained to the fact that she was bringing up that request.

"Since I am the eldest surviving member of the order," Anya continued, "it now falls upon me to induct new members of that order. The Count was very impressed with your record for breaking people down to confess their crimes without so much as laying a hand on them. Inugami spoke very highly of that gift, and because of that, the Count approved of your request." She reached into the black robes that adorned her small body and retrieved a scroll from its depths. She raised her hand again and incanted, "_Fortis La Tius Lilith Lilioth_." An elegant blade materialized out of thin air and placed itself in her extended hand.

"Kneel here," the vampire commanded as she gestured to a spot in front of her. Reinhart stood up and walked over to where the tip of the blade pointed. Placing a closed hand over his heart, he knelt and bowed low enough so that his head was just beneath shoulder level of the young girl. Taking the sword, Anya laid it to rest against the young man's left shoulder and proceeded to speak in Romanian.

"_Do you, Reinhart von Faustus of the Duchy of Bavaria, understand the duties and responsibilities that you are about to undertake?_"

The vampire replied, "_I am wholly aware of the duties and responsibilities that I am about to undertake, and I accept them readily with all my being and my soul_."

"_Since you have willingly chosen to do so, recite the oath and swear full loyalty to the great Count._"

"_I, Reinhart von Faustus of Bavaria, swear eternal loyalty to Dracula, our great Count and Father of the Blood. I will do all that I can in my power to uphold the integrity of the Vampire race and to carry out the laws set down by the great Count. If I am to ever waver in loyalty, then I forfeit my life and immortality._"

He felt the blade leave his left shoulder and then slowly make contact with his right shoulder.

"_You have sworn eternal allegiance to Dracula and promised to carry out the duties laid out in the oath. Let this symbol that I know brand you with be a token of that oath._"

A burning sensation assailed the back of the vampire's left shoulder, but he ignored it. The pain shortly subsided as he felt the coat-of-arms of the Transylvania imprint itself upon that shoulder. He heard Anya's voice say, "Rise up, Lord Faustus, and take this scroll as a sign of your commission." Once he had stood up, he gently took the commission from the elder vampire's hand. Smiling, she said, "Welcome to the Order of Dracula."

* * *

><p>"<em>So why not kill me now and finish this, <em>My Lord_."_

_The great vampire looked down upon her from his seat in his throne room. Even in defeat, this young woman was defiant as ever. It came as no surprise that she would spite him. After all, she had sought that which he would never give up freely. Rather than end her apparent humiliation and the possibility of her attempting to retake what she wanted, he stood up and walked toward her._

"_I will not kill you," he stated, his voice laced with some venom and, as the prisoner noted, a trace of sympathy. It puzzled her that he would feel sorry for her. Why should he? She had been a thorn in his side for the past century, and now he had this one chance to end it all. However, if she knew him well enough, he would more than likely make her suffer her humiliation and the stinging agony of her loss. Her gaze swept upward slightly as she took note of the look of shock on her captor's face. She smirked inwardly at the fact that the girl would not see what she had hoped._

_Her smirk was replaced by a scream of agony as the man whom she sought to take power from grabbed her and laid a hand on her now bared back. A burning sensation as though she were on fire began to course through her body causing her to seize up. After a few minutes, it was all over. Removing his hand, he nodded for two of his personal guards to clothe her and pull her upright. She glared with as much venom as her pain-racked body could muster, but it was met with an impassive glance from the man she hated most of all._

"_Let it be known, my children," he announced, "that this heathen, this _Angelus Lapsus_, will be spared death. However, she will be exiled from our commune and allowed to never mingle with our brethren ever again." He then raised his hands and began to incant a forced-teleportation spell. _

_Somehow, whether it was by the will of God or by the treachery of Satan, the spell managed to carry out its intended effect. As the room about her began to vanish, she could hear the vampire's voice continue to say, "And if anyone of you sees the mark of the chained silver-tongued serpent, do not speak with her nor show any notice of her. Let her suffer the rest of her eternity alone. This is my word, and my word is law!"_

* * *

><p>Asuna woke up with a violent start. She put a hand to her forehead as the cool air in the room made her aware that she had broken out in a cold sweat. Judging by the amount of light that shone through the curtains, it was just around seven in the morning. The new alarm clock sitting next to her pillow confirmed her suspicions. She knew she only had a half-hour before Konoka would wake up. Rather than be questioned at length by her friend, she treaded softly down and headed into the bathroom to take a quick, cold shower to recover her senses.<p>

_What the hell do these visions mean? Is this something to that is to come, or is it something that someone is showing me? More importantly, why does it seem all so familiar to me?_

Getting out of the shower and changing quickly, she gasped slightly as she came face to face with Reinhart, who happened to be standing near the bathroom door. Avoiding his semi-concerned gaze, she quickly hurried over to the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of water and her bento.

"Are you alright _Fraulein_?" the vampire inquired. "You seem to be rather tense as of late."

"It's nothing to be concerned about," the redhead replied. "It's just some bad dreams that I've been having."

Shrugging, he opened the door as his coworker made her way out of the dorm, pausing only to look back at her friend snuggled next to Setsuna in a loving embrace. A smile crossed her features as she said, "I'm happy that those two finally got together. It's been a long time coming for the both of them."

"Love has no boundaries," Reinhart simply replied as he shut the door behind them and made his way toward the academy with the redhead.

* * *

><p>An hour-and-a-half later, the girls of Class 2-A began to file in as the school day came close to its commencement. The minute that Yue and Haruna got in, they filed straight over to Asuna and began to interrogate her to no end about whether she had located Nodoka or not. Their badgering had caught the attention of some of their classmates, so they all kept quiet and decided to hear what the discussion was about. The redheaded girl was beginning to get slightly agitated with the persistence of the mangaka and the youth librarian, but she knew that they were merely concerned.<p>

"I did find her," she said in an attempt to get them to stop, "But she wasn't doing well, so we brought her to the infirmary for Minamoto-sensei to assess her situation. I don't know if she was sent to a hospital or not, so Nitta-sensei will probably have some more information in regards to that."

As if on cue, the door opened to reveal the grey-haired, bespectacled mathematics teacher walk in. One of the girls, a shorter, rotund young lady by the name of Satsuki Yotsuba, called out, "Rise! Attention!"

"Ohayō gozaimasu, Nitta-sensei!" the girls chimed together as they bowed in respect to their teacher.

"Ohayō gozaimasu ladies," the "ogre" replied. "Sit down and get your assignments out so Entheofushia-kun may collect them from you." As he surveyed the class, he noticed that a second person was missing. Turning to Chachamaru, he inquired, "I presume that McDowell-kun is out because of her allergies?"

"Hai, Nitta-sensei," the green-haired girl replied. "I have her homework with me so that it can be turned in."

"Very well, but you would do well to remind her that her attendance is less than stellar, and that she needs to be more punctual about taking her medication."

"Excuse me, Nitta-sensei?" Yue inquired whilst raising her hand, "Have you heard anything about Nodoka?"

"To answer your question Ayase-kun, Miyazaki-kun came down with a sudden and violent case of pneumonia. Due to its progression, Minamoto-san had her moved to a hospital off-campus. Per the attending physician's orders, no one is to visit her. However, Springfield-sensei will be collecting any flowers and other such gifts during your homeroom period so they can be sent to her. Now, as Entheofushia-kun collects your homework, turn to page 67 and begin answering the questions."

Ayaka, who had been attentive to the entire discussion, felt a slight pang of worry at what could have possibly happened to the young woman. It confounded her that a girl like her could survive such a violent attack, unless…

…_Unless she was turned into a vampire_, the young ōkami thought to herself as Nitta began to lecture on the problems that constituted the page they were reading. This only mildly concerned her. Though the vampire population had increased on campus by one, she was only a fledgling and would not be as powerful as her brethren. All she could was hope that she would not lose control of her fear again, or another one of the students could become the victim of her next bout of bloodlust.

The rest of the day seemed to drag on for Yue and Haruna, but they did find some solace in the fact that their friend had been found. Now all they could do was wait for the child-teacher and his aide to provide some more news on her condition.

* * *

><p>"What is this thing?"<p>

Evangeline turned to face the fledgling as she stared in awe at the large glass orb that contained a miniature tower of sorts. Gesturing toward it, she merely stated, "This is my 'resort'. I used this often to help pass the time and develop some spells during the past fifteen years of my imprisonment. However, the last time I used this was to help Chachamaru develop her resistance to sunlight."

Nodoka walked up to it and blew off some dust bunnies that had gathered on the magical structure. As she examined it, she inquired, "How does this work?"

"I've no doubt that you are familiar with the legend of Urashima Tarō," the vampire said as she made her way to a faded runic circle on the floor. "This 'resort' of mine works in reverse. Rather than one hundred years passing in the real world, only one hour passes as you spend one day in there."

"I see now," the librarian replied in awe. "This way you can assist me in developing my resistance to sunlight in a significantly shorter amount of time than it would take for me to develop it on my own over time."

The vampire only nodded as she gestured for Nodoka to take her place next to her. Grabbing the fledgling's hand and raising her free one, she incanted, "_Lic Lac La Lac Lilac_!" The sensation as if one were floating on a cloud filled the purple-haired girl as she saw the basement around them vanish and blue sky materialize in its place. The first thing she became aware of was a sudden bout of weakness assailing her as the sunlight beat down harshly on the two figures. She let herself be guided by the young girl to shade. Fanning herself, she opened her eyes as the weakness began to fade.

"That was painful," the girl said as her senses became more aware.

"It will be for the first few 'days'," she heard the young Scottish lass say, "but in time, we will have you able to resist this in no time."

"And how do you hope to achieve that?" the voice of Anya Cocolova replied as she came across to where the two vampires took their repose. The impassive Evangeline smirked as she said, "Come now, Lady Cocolova. Even a vampire of your position should not have to doubt my methods."

"I have do not doubt your methods. I merely was interested as to how you would help our new sister here through her weakness in such a short time."

"That," the girl stated with finality, "is my little secret."

* * *

><p>"Kon'nichiwa Negi-sensei and Reinhart-sensei," Class 2-A chimed as their homeroom teacher and his aide came in through the door. The elder of the two merely bowed whilst the younger replied, "Arigatō. Now, please hand forward your questionnaires and open your books to page 40 so we can begin the lesson."<p>

The class was fairly uneventful for the most part, save for Chizuru once again messing up on her wording when Reinhart called upon her to read a part of the learner again. However, much to his surprise, Haruna did not have any remark to make about it. Figuring the cause of her silence was the absence of her friend, he merely continued to assist the young boy in his teaching.

Soon enough, the homeroom period commenced. Putting his books into his desk, Negi straightened out the tie on his suit and turned to address the class.

"Now, I'm sure most of you are probably worried about Nodoka-san's condition. I am pleased to report that she is in stable condition and recovering nicely. However, the doctor that is caring for her has requested that she has no visitors. However, she can accept voice calls in the evenings as she will be resting for most of the day. Now, if any of you wishes to make her get well cards, feel free to do so with your time."

An audible sigh of relief came from the class. Haruna, however, began to wonder whether her friend was truly fine or if their teacher was hiding something from them. As homeroom period drew to a close and the girls filed out of class, the mangaka pulled her philosophical friend aside in the hallway out of earshot of their classmates.

"I don't know about you Yue," she whispered animatedly, "but I have this nagging feeling that Negi-kun and Reinhart-san are hiding something from us about Nodoka. Īnchō was also very dodgy about her condition this morning."

"What are suggesting we do about it then?" the girl replied in her signature droll tone of voice.

"I think that we need to do our own bit of private investigation into the matter. Something's amiss here, and I don't like the feeling… not one bit at all."

* * *

><p><strong>AN****: **The legend of Urashima Tarō tells of a fisherman who rescues a turtle and is allowed to visit the palace of Ryūjin, the Dragon God, under the sea. He stays in the palace for three days, but finds that 300 years have passed upon returning to his village.


	15. Do You Believe in the Undead?

**A/N:** My deepest apologies to those of you who have been waiting for the newest chapter. Work has been rather draining on my motivation as of late. However, I have worked up the motivation to get the next chapter out, so wait no further then. As always, our thanks go out to **call911imbad** for his/her continued reviews. Let us now commence with the next movment in the _Dark Waltz_.

**DISCLAIMER:** Mahou Sensei Negima is property of Ken Akamatsu and all other respective proprietors. Reinhart Faustus is property of Ghost Writer Orange-kun. I, magicafan1989, own Horacio Valdez de la Cuesta.

* * *

><p>XIII. Do You Believe in the Undead?<p>

The evening sun began to set, casting a pinkish-orange hue over the Mahora District and all that entailed it. Whilst most of the students were making their way back to their dormitories or to on-campus hangouts, two scholars in the making were busy trying to piece together what had happened to their friend. Though Yue had initially protested any such attempt, the overpowering determination of Haruna finally wore her down into giving in.

After changing into casual attire, the two friends set off on the route they normally traversed to reach Library Island. The Library had been built in an attempt to become the modern day **Library of Alexandria** that once stood proud in ancient times. No one knew the extent of the library's depths, so the Academy as a whole created the Library Expedition Team in order to discover the hidden niches and tomes that were donated and stored over decades bygone. Junior high members of the team were restricted to exploring up to the second basement floor whilst high school and university members could explore only up to the fifth basement floor.

In theory, it only took one student about ten minutes to get from the junior high dormitories to the library and about one hour to close up the regular student areas of the building. If Nodoka had fallen ill, then she would've called either Haruna or Yue the minute she felt unwell. Haruna had reasoned that something else had happened and that their child teacher and high school aide were hiding something from the class. About five minutes in, they came across the exact area where Nodoka had been attacked by Ayaka. However, all evidence of the attack was gone to prevent any of the students from panicking. Naturally, no one had known of the incident thanks to the efforts of certain individuals. However, Yue felt some sort of ill aura on the air and stopped in her tracks.

The bespectacled mangaka turned around to face her friend.

"Yuecchi," she said, "What's wrong?"

"I don't know," the purple-haired girl replied, "But something tells me that a horrible event occurred here." She then knelt down and began to search the ground as though if looking for some sort of sign.

"Okay, you're kind of freaking me out here," Haruna said as her friend continued her vigilant search. "Is there some sort of sixth sense that you've been hiding from me and Honya?"

"Call it 'inherited intuition'," Yue replied as she stopped searching and began sniffing gingerly. A very faint smell hit her nostrils, almost like the metallic tang of blood. It wasn't strong, but she knew the scent very well from the many times that Haruna's drawings had caused her to have sporadic nasal aneurysms. She walked toward a bush offset of the cobblestone walkway. Pulling her torch from her jacket, she shone it upon the foliage and found her worst suspicions confirmed. There was no mistaking the copper stains upon the vibrant green leaves. Everything began to come together as she turned to Haruna.

"I think I know what happened."

The mangaka could only watch in awe as her friend began to follow a meticulous path while narrating what she saw in her own mind.

"Nodoka was walking along here as we were doing just a few moments ago. She stopped when she heard something rustling in the foliage nearby. That something came out from over there," she said as she pointed toward where the bushes appeared to be damaged from someone crashing into or through them. "Nodoka didn't even know what hit her. Whoever... whatever it was attacked her..."

Haruna felt queasy as she shivered violently at the thought of what had happened to their friend began to play in her mind. Visions of some hideous creature shredding Nodoka to pieces began to make her turn green. However, something else crossed her mind.

"But if something did attack her," she said, "then Īnchō must have found it and warded it off somehow."

"Either Īnchō or someone that was in the vicinity," the young philosopher replied as she began scouring for more evidence to support what her intuition was telling her. Her eyes finally fell upon a path that they never had noticed before. Haruna followed her over to the path. They investigated the foliage nearby and discovered more dried blood.

"Whoever managed to save Nodoka carried her down this path," Yue continued with a tone of finality. "So, in theory, if we follow this path, it will take us to someone who may know the truth about what happened to Nodoka. However, I think it would be best to consult someone who sees members of the Student Patrol on a regular basis and might be wont to what could have attacked Nodoka."

"Who did you have in mind?" Haruna inquired as she followed her friend back up the pathway toward the campus.

* * *

><p>"Tadaima!" Chachamaru announced as she, Negi, Asuna, and Reinhart entered the cottage. They were greeted by Nodoka's voice calling out, "Irasshaimase!" Hanging up their jackets and removing their shoes as per common courtesy in their respective cultures, they joined the purple-haired fledgeling in the dining room where she was found seated at the table and sipping from a glass of blood. In all rights, she looked downright exhausted but seemed to be recovering nicely. Negi sat down near her as Reinhart entered the kitchen to assist Chachamaru in preparing some tea.<p>

"How was your training with Evangeline?" the vampire inquired.

"I can now see why she is considered to be the most powerful vampire in the world," was the reply that he received. "I'm not wont to her skill in magic, but her methods helped me to overcome sunlight in the eight hours I spent with her."

Negi's mouth fell open in shock slightly. It had taken him the better part of a century-and-a-half to master his resistance to sunlight, yet somehow, under the tutelage of his soul-mate, the fledgeling had managed to accomplish that feat in only eight hours. Before he could further inquire how she had done it, Evangeline surfaced from the stairwell leading to the basement and greeted the four individuals that had entered her abode. The young boy stood up and pulled out a chair next to him in which the Maga Nosferatu seated herself. Returning to his seat, he decided to ask of his soul-mate, "How did you do it?"

"With the help of my secret methods and a time-displacement environment," the blonde replied as her green-haired 'sister' and their elder 'brother' returned to the table with cups of herbal tea. Negi took his cup and sniffed at appreciatively. While the green tea he had consumed in the previous few days was definitely soothing, nothing could quite top the feelings of nostalgia wrought by a good "ol' cuppa" of English breakfast tea. Bowing his head deeply, he thanked Chachamaru, the latter bowing in reply as she situated herself at the table with Asuna, Reinhart, Nodoka, and Evangeline. The elder vampire looked about him as he noticed that a particular Russian was missing.

"Where did Lady Cocolova go?"

"Off to St. Ursula's I presume," the blonde vampire replied as she sipped at her tea. "She said something about needing to reconcile* a few things. I presume she'll be back before too long though."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Yue and Haruna eventually found themselves at the doors of said church. It was nearly nine o'clock, and the sun had vanished leaving the moon's silver light to wash over the area. The mangaka was puzzled as to why her philosophical roommate had brought them there and voiced her confusion.<p>

"Did you forget that Kasuga-san is a nun?" was the reply she received. She brought her palm to her forehead as her memory was jogged. Misora Kasuga, student number nine on the class roster, was a member of the junior-high track and field team and the resident nun of the class. Known to be a rather quiet and observing girl, she rarely ever associated with anyone except for her fellow teammates. Some of the girls in Class 2-A had often questioned why someone as young as her had taken **solemn vows** and threw away her chances of ever becoming married. She had never given any clear response to such inquiries. Rather, the young nun had only mentioned something to the extent of devoting her life to a singular cause and to provide for those who could not provide for themselves.

"But why are we talking to a nun about what happened to Honya?" Haruna asked not even bothering to hide her ever-growing confusion. She knew the church was a regular stopping point for the Student Patrol and that the nuns that lived there often let them in for their breaks.

"Do you remember how fascinated she was with the supernatural and Western folktales before she took the holy life? Perhaps she can enlighten us on what sort of creature may have attacked Nodoka."

As she finished her response, Yue approached the door and made to open it when the bespectacled youth inquired, "Are you sure it's alright for us to go in there? After all, we aren't believers."

"It's not like we are defying the kami by entering the place of worship of another religion," the purple-haired girl sighed. "We are merely here to talk to our classmate in regards to the matter at hand." Without another moment's hesitation, she opened the door and nearly collided with a small body. Looking down, she gazed upon a small girl who looked to be about ten years of age wearing a black cloak over casual attire. Her green eyes appraised the school-girl quizzically before she ran her hand through her red hair almost in a sign of embarrassment.

"**Прошу прощения**," the little girl said before hurrying off into the encroaching darkness. The mangaka turned toward where she had vanished.

"What the hell did she say?"

"I think it was one of the Slavic languages," the philosopher said. "If I'm not mistaken, it sounded like it was Russian, though I wouldn't know what she said."

"This is getting really weird," the mangaka said in exasperation. "First off, we get a ten-year-old Welsh child for our teacher. The next thing you know, we have a German who looks like he belongs in high school as his teacher's aide. Now, we have a Russian on campus. It sounds like the beginning one of those bad American jokes: A Russian, a Welshman, and a German enter a bar..."

"I think you've gone far enough," Yue interrupted before entering the church. They were approached by an older man who looked to be in his sixties adorned in garments that denoted his position as the pastor of the church. Bowing his head, he greeted them in saying, "Welcome, children. I am Father Sōjiro, pastor of this holy place of worship. Is there anything I can help you with tonight?"

"We're classmates of Misora Kasuga," Haruna said as she bowed in greeting to the priest. "We wanted to talk to her about a few things."

"You mean Sister Kasuga? She is in the church with the other sisters preparing for **Compline**. Are you interested in becoming members of the holy life?"

Yue, hoping the old man would not see the lie she was about to tell, replied, "We wanted to talk to Kasuga-san about the life that she and the other nuns live here and the beliefs that you follow as a part of a project we're doing on the different religions practiced here in Japan."

The venerable priest seemed to believe the fib and responded, "Very well then. Compline during this time of year takes about an hour. If you wish, you can sit in on the service and take notes down for your research."

Not wishing to refuse the priest's offer, the duo followed him into the church and took their seats near the doors. Though only one hour would pass, it felt like an eternity dragged on for the pair. Haruna found herself pondering how one could endure this every day of the year. The service for most part was in Japanese. There were a few instances, however, where the nuns sang in a language that she had never heard before. Yue informed her that they had been singing hymns in Latin, the language of the ancient Roman Empire. Although she couldn't understand a word of what was being sung, the mangaka couldn't deny that the way the nuns sang was almost entrancing.

Soon enough, the hour had ended with the nuns filing out of the side door leading to the convent. Within a few minutes, the church was empty save for the presence of the two friends and their classmate who had eventually made her way toward them.

"Good evening Saotome-san and Ayase-san. Father Sōjiro informed me that you needed to ask me a few things."

Yue nodded in reply.

"You are aware that Nodoka is recovering at a hospital at the present moment... at least that's what we're being told."

"I know. I hope she's alright," Misora replied.

"We hope so too," Haruna added. "However, Yuecchi believes that there's something amiss and that it involves Negi-sensei and Reinhart-san in some manner."

"We both know that you were very interested in the supernatural for some time before you took your solemn vows," Yue continued. "Because Haruna is convinced that our teachers are hiding something from us, we decided to go toward Library Island in an attempt to discover clues that lead up to Nodoka's present state of being."

"And what did you find?" the nun asked, her interest now piqued.

"You see, my grandfather was a detective with the district police for some time before becoming an amateur philosopher. He had a knack for piecing crimes together with very little evidence, a trait that he passed on to me. Along the way, we came across some dried bloodstains on the foliage about halfway to the library. It's my belief that Nodoka was attacked by someone or something with the intent to kill her but was saved by either Īnchō or someone who lived not too far off from the island."

"And what do you suspect carried out the attack?"

"It had to be something that is not human," the young philosopher replied. "Judging by how widespread the bloodstains were on the surrounding foliage, it had to be in some sort of feral state to have attacked a human. And I know the Student Patrols are well equipped to fend off any wild predators that may wander on campus."

A spark of light seemed to shine in the athletic nun's eyes. Lowering her voice to an animated whisper, she asked, in a serious tone of voice, what would seem to be a ridiculous yet not entirely unbelievable question, given the current circumstances.

"Do you believe in the undead?"

* * *

><p><strong>Translations and Trivia:<strong>

The** Royal Library of Alexandria**, establish in the 3rd Century BCE (Before the Common Era), was the largest library of the ancient world before it's destruction during the Roman conquest of Egypt in the year 30 BCE. In commemoration and emulation of the great library, the Biblotheca Alexandrina was inaugurated in 2002 near the site of the original library.

A **solemn vow**, as defined by canon law of the Roman Catholic Church, is a "deliberate and free promise made to God about a possible and better good" that is recognized by the Church for those wishing to enter the monastic life. When taking solemn vows, the monk or nun give up their ordinary lives and revoke their ability to inherit property. Those who take **simple vows** (vows that are not fully recognized by the Church) are referred to as "brothers" or "sisters" much like monks and nuns. However, "brothers" and "sisters" retain their ability to inherit property.

**Прошу прощения **(Romanized: _Proshu proshcheniya_) is Russian for "Pardon me."

**Compline** is the final church service of the day in the Christian tradition of canoncial hours. Compline is observed by the lay/clergy and those who have taken solemn/simple vows in the Anglican, Lutheran, Orthodox, and Roman Catholic churches. Compline generally begins at 9PM and runs for a little more than an hour during the time outside of Lent (observed by the Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Anglican churches along with some branches of the Baptist church and the Mennonites) and Advent (observed by most of the Western Christian churches and the Roman Catholic church) seasons.


	16. The Unknown Path

**A/N:** I am truly and deeply sorry for all of you who have waited so long for me to post the latest chapter of this work. However, work has been a drag as of late and been draining me of all motivation. However, I shall attempt to post new chapters every now and again for your reading enjoyment.

**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own Mahou Sensei Negima. All rights belong to their respective proprietors. Reinhart Faustus is owned by Ghost Writer Orange-kun.

* * *

><p>XIV. The Unknown Path<p>

It was said by the French playwright Bernard-Joseph Saurin, "How long the night seems to one kept awake by pain." Ayaka Yukihiro never had time for the finer things in life, but this one statement seemed to ring true to her as the silver light of the moon washed over the Plutonian shores of night unaffected by the surrounding, man-made light of the Mahora District. Although she had resigned herself to the fact that she would have to kill the new initiate before she spoke of her attack to her brethren, she felt remorseful.

_If only I had kept control over my emotions, none of this would have happened_, the wolf demon thought bitterly as she reclined in her bed, silently waiting for her roommates to be taken by the mist that was sleep and to indulge in the realm of Mab, Queen of Dreams. She would first consult her father on what course of action was to be taken to rectify her situation before proceeding to eliminate the Vampires on campus. However, it puzzled her to no end why the Council of **Lycosura** was even bothering to contract her family. They were not Lycans, yet the Council argued that they were kindred spirits and would be welcome in their numbers. She knew how ruthless they could be, and if she were to fail her mission, the consequences would be grave for her family.

Once she was certain that Chizuru and Natsumi were both sound asleep, she started probing the area with her Ki to find out if any of the other guards were nearby. Once she confirmed that they were out of her range, she sneaked out the dorm window and carefully closed it so as not to disturb her roommates. Landing on the ground several stories below with some grace, she then proceeded to pull out her phone and dial her father. She waited several tense minutes with no answer. Closing her phone, she began to meditate and focus her emotions, just as her father had taught her, before her panic could control her again.

_Oh great kami, please keep my family safe this evening, and grant me the serenity so that I may not do anything foolish._

* * *

><p>A window leading into the den of Takahiro Yukihiro was smashed inward as a snarling creature made to find its prey. The first thing the creature noted was that the den was empty. Sniffing the air about it, it discovered that the entire residence was abandoned. With a sigh, the creature regained control of itself and reverted back to its human form. It brushed its brown hair out of its green eyes to ensure that it's sense of smell was not deceiving it. After double-checking its surroundings, the intruder then proceeded to head toward the desk at the bay window and pick up the phone.<p>

It wasn't long before the ringing ended and an elderly woman's voice sounded on the other end of the line.

"_What news do you bring?_"

"_It appears that the residence is deserted_," the intruder replied. "_Their scent is nonexistent, so they must have fled several hours ago. I imagine that these demons know how to mask their scent very well._"

"_That musing is insignificant when compared to the fact that they got away. The daughter should still be at the school in the nearby district. If you can capture her alive, then we have some __leverage to bait the elder out of hiding and finish him and his clan off. They have made one too many mistakes, and now they'll forfeit with the destruction of their lineage. You know what you must do._"

* * *

><p>"The undead?" Haruna scoffed indignantly. "I knew you had a fascination with the occult before following the holy life Kasuga, but I didn't think you took Western mythology that seriously."<p>

The young nun merely shrugged in indifference.

"Laugh all you want Saotome-san," she replied, "but a librarian such as yourself will have read all manner of books. You can't argue that this is an extreme possibility. Though there are demons at work that we cannot see, our own literature and Western literature is littered with a variety of folk-tales that speak of things that we would deem unreal or unnatural."

Yue seemed to be a little bit more susceptible to their classmate's ramblings. Misora was indeed correct that the given circumstances could open up a plethora of possibilities. Leaning forward slightly, she inquired, "What kind of creature do you suggest attacked Nodoka?"

"From what you told me about the scene of the crime, it sounds like it could be a variety of creatures. Now, I'm sure both of you are aware of what hanyō and yōkai are?"

"That's easy," the black-haired mangaka stated, "demons and half-demons that take the form of an animal of some extent."

"Correct. Now, no living person who wanted to kill a teenage girl would be so brazen as to leave residue of a mess behind. If it wasn't a yōkai of any kind that attacked Miyazaki-san, then I suggest it could have been a werewolf."

"How so?" Yue inquired, "I was under the impression that werewolves merely bit to turn others in order to expand their numbers."

"You're right," the nun replied, "I didn't think about that. So, we're left with only one of two options which I have already suggested." She then proceeded to reach into her habit and pulled out several small satchels. This piqued Haruna's interest.

"What's in the bags?"

The nun raised her eyebrows in a somewhat mischievous way as she opened them up. If they had thought their classmate was strange before, anyone of their other classmates would've deemed Misora insane. The satchels contained **salt** and a small number of scrolls containing the names of several of the Shinto kami. Ignoring the looks of confusion on her classmates' faces, she sealed the satchels, placed them back in her habit, and stood up.

"If you wouldn't mind having some company, I would like to join you in locating Miyazaki-san. After all, since this an area of personal expertise, I'm the only one who knows how to repel anything that might come after us, whether it be a demon of Hell or a creature that would mean harm to all humans."

* * *

><p>"So," Evangeline inquired, "what should we do about that ōkami since it may not be long before she plans to strike again?"<p>

"Didn't Gandhi once say, 'An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind?'" replied the purple-haired librarian as she finished her cup of blood. "In short, we lead her on to believe that we will go after her for what she did. And, at the last moment, we do nothing. It should make her focus on preparing herself more only to find out we won't attack her."

"I'm not terribly hopeful that your suggestion will pan out as expected," Negi added, "Because the undue amount of worry and stress could cause her to lose grip on her human guise and revert to her yōkai form. That could spell big trouble if she were to go loose and attack the other students. Dean Konoe would not be pleased with that."

"Then what do you suggest?" Reinhart inquired as he sensed Anya's return to the cottage and proceeded to head toward the door as to open it.

The young vampire didn't respond. Instead, he closed his eyes and began to mutter something in Welsh. As soon as the elder vampire opened the door, a shadowy, winged form nearly collided with him face first. Ducking on instinct, the intruder entered with rustle of feathers and landed on the boy's right shoulder. Anya peered from around Reinhart, a look of surprise adorning her features.

"What in God's name was that?"

Negi gestured with his left hand at the majestic, female raven that sat perched upon him.

"This is my familiar. Her name is **Camri**."

The bird looked about her quizzically before crowing slightly and saying, "Phew. I've never seen so many living corpses gathered in one place before. Master, are you sure you have chosen good company to be amongst?"

The little red-headed vampire seemed to take offense to this remark. She marched forward and brought her face level with the corvid, her voice laced with venom.

"Now see here, you birdbrained twit, I happen to be a powerful mage alongside of being a 'corpse', as you so kindly refer to us as. Any further lip from you and I will..."

"Now, now," Negi said disarmingly, "You'll have to forgive her. She can be rather rude at times, but she won't do that again." Turning to his familiar, he reprimanded her in saying, "These are kindred spirits of mine, and I will not have you go about and insulting them. Am I clear?"

The raven brought a wing up to her forehead and said, "Clear as the silver moon in the night sky, Master."

Reinhart had observed the brief exchange between the bird and the vampire. Something told him there was more to this creature than met the eye. He had heard of familiars that took the shape of an animal that suited the spirit's personality. He knew that the young Negi was very reserved and polite to all that he came across. However, the same couldn't be said for his familiar. This creature exuded an aura of great mischief and something else that the senior vampire couldn't quite put his finger on. Deciding to push his musings aside for the time, he closed the door and rejoined his comrades at the table as Negi began to speak again.

"Now, Camri here has been my faithful familiar and servant for the past century-and-a-half. She is my eye for when I need to see what dangers lurk beyond my enhanced senses and a traveling companion on my journeys. I'm thinking we can use her to keep an eye on our furred friend, given if she has the proper incentive."

"As you know, Master," the vitriolic raven said as she ruffled her feathers slightly, "my wants are few, both in supply and demand. After all, I have served you dutifully, and that will not change a bit. Just name your target, and I shall cause all the havoc that you ask."

"I'm not asking that you cause havoc. There is a yōkai at this school, an ōkami to precise. All I need for you is to watch her very carefully. Am I understood?"

Bobbing her head up and down, the bird flapped her wings and flew up the fireplace in the living room of the cottage and disappeared into the night.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, not far off from the cottage, Yue, Haruna, and Misora had found themselves wandering the path that the former had noticed earlier in the day. The silver hue of the moon illuminated the path in front of them as they followed it to wherever it would lead them. The sound of the occasional frog croaking in the distance was soon replaced by a loud cawing sound. The nun, not taking any chances, grabbed the two friends and pulled them under the cover of some nearby bushes. Keeping her gaze skyward, she saw the source the sound as a winged shadow passed briefly overhead.<p>

_That's odd_, the young nun thought, _Crows never get that large, unless it's a raven. And if I'm not mistaken, ravens aren't indigenous to the country. There's something more than just a yōkai living here._ She clutched the crucifix that sat adorned around her neck and breathed slowly, calming her nerves and saying a silent prayer before standing back up and gesturing for the philosopher and the mangaka to stand up. They soon resumed their journey, heading toward the unknown end with which their path would lead them.

* * *

><p><strong>Lycosura<strong> was a city located in the Arcadia region of the Pelopponese Peninsula in Greece aligned to the Greek goddess Despoina, daughter of Poseidon and Demeter. It has been said to be the oldest city in the world, though there is no proof of it having existed before the 4th century BCE. In this continuity of Negima, Lycosura is still in ruins, though it is home to the Council of Lycosura, one of the oldest orders of Lycans.

**Salt**, a common household seasoning found all over the world, is believed to have the capability to keep unwanted spirits and demons away from a residence by many cultures.

**Camri** is the Welsh word for chamomile. In this continuity, Camri serves as the familiar of Negi instead of everyone's favorite ermine, Chamo.


	17. Discerning the Surreal from Pragmatic

**A/N:** Thanks to **call911imbad **for his/her continued reviews. Here is another chapter to sate your hunger. More to come sooner or later.

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own _Mahou Sensei Negima_ or anything related to it. The aforementioned manga/anime is owned by Ken Akamatsu and all other respective proprietors. Reinhart Faustus is property of Ghost Writer Orange-kun. Horacio Valdez del Cuesta is property of me, magicafan1989.

* * *

><p>XV. Discerning the Surreal From the Pragmatic<p>

After the small bout of chaos with the raven's entrance and succinct departure, things had quieted down inside the small cottage. Evangeline and Anya sat aside in the living room engrossing themselves in a game of chess whilst Reinhart had taken to meditating. Asuna, in the meantime, began to pore over the visions she had been having, hoping to discern some sort of meaning behind them. She had already toyed with the notion that it was someone imposing their past upon her or some hidden experience buried by her subconscious, the former seeming more credible than the latter. However, it did not help that the visions seemed familiar to her. She wondered if it had anything to do with the blood oath she made with Reinhart. Perhaps something in her subconscious was unburied due to it and was beginning to surface in small bits and pieces.

Suddenly afflicted by that familiar feeling when the previous visions had come to her, Asuna decided to ride it out and let herself become consumed by the encroaching darkness.

* * *

><p><em>It had been only a matter of days since her dreaded enemy had forcibly teleported her into the middle of nowhere. Weak, confused, and seething with rage, she gathered herself up and began to wander the wilderness aimlessly. She would need to feed before the Angel of Death came to take her soul. <em>

_In her wandering, she came upon a small encampment of mortal travelers. Seeing as she had already lost everything and wouldn't lose anything else, she kept herself hidden until sleep had claimed them. Using caution to the utmost extreme, she crept amongst their resting bodies and chose her victim: a young girl brimming with magical power. Knowing that any magical blood she took upon herself could help in sustaining her without feeding for greater lengths of time, she made her move and drained the child of every last drop before the latter could scarce utter a sound. _

_Not even a minute after she had committed the dastardly feat, someone in the camp stirred in their sleep and spotted the spawn of hell bent over the corpse of the child. Leaping upright, the woman screamed in horror, "Get thee back from my daughter, thou spawn of Satan!"_

_Cursing inwardly, she used her regained strength and tore off into the night, using the shadows to teleport herself a great distance away. Once she had materialized, she began to probe the area for signs that she was being followed. Deeming that it was safe, she turned to continue on only to come face-to-face with a robed giant of a man. Before she could scarce make a move, the man had grabbed her in what would be a lethal choke-hold for a mortal and lifted her off the ground by her throat._

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you,_" the man commanded, his voice gruff with age and heavily accented._

_The vampire didn't know whether to consider it a blessing or a curse that this man spoke her native tongue, although most of what he said sounded like gibberish. From his accent, she deduced that he was from Thessaloniki. The garb and assembly of tools that adorned his figure betrayed the fact that this man was a vampire hunter. Taking note of the stench of death about him, she responded to his question in saying, "What gives thee the right to take the life of thine brethren?"_

_The man cursed slightly before retorting in the ancient dialect that his prisoner used._

"_Tarry, and allow me to answer thy question with one of my own: What gives thee the right to take the life a mortal, no less a child?"_

"_How?" the young woman asked, shock lacing her voice. "I scarce detected thy presence, yet somehow thou knows of my deeds."_

"_'Twould betray too much about myself," the male vampire scoffed, "Yet thou dost delay thy demise? Answer my question."_

"_I had need of fresh blood. The child's was filled with enough magic so that I would enable myself to continue without need of feeding for a fortnight or more."_

_The vampire lowered his prisoner back to the ground and released his hold of his "sister" before drawing his cloak about him._

"_Your answer is truthful," the man said, "yet I would advise against feeding on innocent mortals again. Spare them, and sate your hunger upon those who have committed wrongs against other innocent mortals."_

_He made a move to leave, but the young woman grabbed hold of his arm and asked, "Tell me, brother of the blood, what is the secret of thy power? How dost thou keep thyself from being detected by our fellow brethren?"_

"_That," he replied, "is my secret. If thou art willing to forsake thine past and help us in ridding the world of those that would commit crimes against mortals, then thou must come with me."_

* * *

><p>A sudden movement jarred Asuna from her near out-of-body experience. Coming to her senses quickly, she saw that Negi and Reinhart had stood up and were slowly approaching the door. Standing up, she asked them, "What is it? What do you sense?"<p>

"It appears we may have some unwanted company," Negi replied without looking at her.

Evangeline and Anya joined their "brothers" at the door whilst Nodoka and Chachamaru joined Asuna in the dining room. Turning to her green-haired sister, the Maga Nosferatu said, "Chachamaru, take Miyazaki-kun below. Things could get ugly here real quickly."

* * *

><p>"Look," the nun said in a semi-excited tone. She pointed toward the small cottage that sat in middle of a clearing, the forest surrounding it on all sides. Yue and Haruna were both confounded to say the least. In all their years that they attended Mahora Academy, they had never seen this cottage in person or on the map of the campus. The architecture was that of a Western style, more specifically one that would be found in the northern half of the British Isles. Although they couldn't see much of the design due to the current position of the moon in the late night sky, they saw several illuminated windows. It was obvious someone lived here, but who?<p>

Yue made a move to approach the cottage in hopes of finding something, but Haruna and Misora grabbed her and pulled her back behind a nearby fir.

"Don't!" the nun whispered irately. "Do you want whatever is in there to catch us?"

Doing the best to hold her tongue, the young philosopher proceeded to crouch next to her mangaka friend, the latter inquiring, "So what do we do now, Kasuga-san?"

Misora did not directly respond to the bespectacled Haruna. Rather, she gathered her wits about her and raised her hand slightly.

"_Sancta Tenebræ Lux Beata._"

The two friends could only stare in shock as a light glow surrounded the nun's hand. Paying no heed to the fact that she had revealed her secret to her **Mundane** classmates, the young mage began to direct her magical aura through the area in an effort to discern what she would be up against. A sudden shiver ran through her body as the aura came into contact with several undead beings, four of them brimming with magical power.

_What in the name of God am I going to be able to do against four of them?_ the young nun thought to herself.

* * *

><p>Inside the cottage, Nodoka shivered as she felt some unseen force almost graze against her. It felt somewhat comforting yet all too alien to her. Chachamaru noticed this and said softly, "What you just felt was magical aura. Whoever is out there is trying to determine what they're up against before making their move."<p>

"How do you know that?" the purple-haired librarian asked quietly.

"As you know, I've been living with Evangeline for the last fifteen years. Although I don't know any magic, she has helped me tune what little magic power I have to detect unwanted presences."

Upstairs, Reinhart began to sniff the air gingerly in an attempt to discern how many bodies were outside waiting for them. After a minute, he said, "There are three of them, all mortals. The aura we just felt is only enough for one person."

"Two Mundanes, one mage," Anya remarked. "I'll stay in here with Lady McDowell. Negi, I believe these mortals we're dealing with might be your students, so I want you to stay as well. Baron Faustus, do whatever you can in your power to scare them off."

Reinhart nodded silently before sinking into the shadows. Negi, however, turned to Anya and said, "I'm going out there as well. I can't just stand by and let anything happen to my students."

"Negi, wait!" Anya shouted as the young boy sank into the shadows as well. The young girl turned and punched a wall in frustration causing the owner of the house to chastise her.

"Oi! Don't go destroying my property now!"

Asuna watched all that had transpired silently, hoping that whichever of her classmates it could be would run and not attempt to put up a fight.

_If anymore people find out just what exactly is going on in this academy, we could all end up in big trouble._

* * *

><p>"Kasuga-san, I think you've got some explaining to do," Yue said as Misora canceled her spell and lowered her hand.<p>

"Yeah," Haruna added, "What's with the freaky light show? Are you an alien of some sort, or are you a…"

Before the mangaka could finish, the nun suddenly grabbed both her and the purple-haired philosopher and threw them aside as a body materialized out of the shadows. Acting quickly, she thrust her hand upon the newcomer and incanted, "_**Lux Capturæ!**_"

Ropes made of pure light and magical energy wrapped themselves around the figure, effectively binding them and illuminating their features. Yue and Haruna both stood up as they heard Misora gasp, "No way! Reinhart-san?"

Both friends could only stare as they saw their homeroom teacher's aide standing in front of their classmate, his arms and legs bound by what they could only imagine as beams of light. Feigning defeat, the young man merely said, "I'm impressed, _Fräulein _Kasuga. I would've never imagined you being a mage. You're only fourteen years old, yet you managed to cast that spell without effort and capture someone who has been alive much longer than you and practiced in magicks far greater than you could ever hope to learn. Bravo."

"Reinhart-san!" Yue shouted, confused now more than she ever had been in her entire life. "What's going on here? Where's Nodoka?"

"I'm afraid that I cannot say what happened to her," the vampire said almost apologetically before proceeding to effortlessly snap the ropes of light that held him in place. Misora began to back away slowly, as did the two friends. Without warning, a runic circle appeared underneath all three of them, casting a binding spell that tied up all three of the girls. The nun attempted to break it with her own magic, but the spell was far more powerful than her own magic. She could only stare in horror as the burgundy-haired teenager raised his hand.

"Because you may feel obligated to tell others about what you have seen, I must erase your memories of this night. _Imperium Aeterni, Verbum Meum Sub Aequora Terra_."

Before he could begin his spell, Negi's voice rang out, "Wait, Reinhart! Don't do it!"

Cursing silently, the elder vampire turned to the young boy as he materialized next to his students and quickly disable the binding spell.

"Negi, stay out of this," the German stated in English. "We can't let them go free and not expect them to keep silent."

"But they are my students as much as they are yours in a way," the younger vampire retorted. "They've made it this far, so they deserve to know what's going on here."

"Excuse me," Yue demanded in frustration with the fact she couldn't understand the two vampires. "Would somebody please tell us what's going on here?!"

Negi turned to the purple-haired girl.

"Ayase-san, I think it's best if you, Saotome-san, and Kasuga-san all come inside. I'm afraid there's a lot to discuss, and we'd best do it in private."

* * *

><p><strong>Mundane<strong> is a term used in the Negima universe to describe someone who is unaware of the existence of magic or does not have an aptitude to practice magic (think of the Muggles of the Harry Potter universe).

**Lux Capturæ** - Binding Light!


	18. The Mark of Servitude

**A/N**: I am pretty sure that you all wish to commit bodily harm upon my person for not updating this story in... (checks calendar)... several months. Work has been severely draining as of late and I've had little to no motivation to write anything. However, after finally getting on a consistent schedule with some new ideas coming forth, I will update as I form chapters. For now, enjoy the latest installment in the newly rechristened Dark Waltz: The First Movement.

**DISCLAIMER**: I do not own _Mahou Sensei Negima_ or any of the characters/places therein. All rights belong to the respective proprietors. Reinhart Faustus (von Luitpolding) belongs to Ghost Writer Orange-kun.

* * *

><p>XVI. The Mark of Servitude<p>

If tension could become a tangible substance that one could permeate with a knife, it would describe the aura surrounding the hidden cottage as Haruna Saotome, Misora Kasuga, and Yue Ayase were all lead in by their teacher and teacher's aide. The two vampires that remained on the ground floor stood up alongside the vampire hunter as Negi gestured for his students to take a seat. The three students did as they were beckoned and placed themselves upon a couch near the window facing toward the forest. Heading over toward the stairs that lead to the basement, the young boy called down in English.

"Chachamaru-san, it's safe to come back up. Bring Nodoka-san up as well."

He then proceeded to seat himself upon the couch opposite of his students. Reinhart and Evangeline sat on either side of him as Anya and Asuna seated themselves upon recliners on either side of the couch. A moment or two passed when the sound of footsteps could be heard coming from underneath the floor. Three sets of eyes watched the basement stairs apprehensively as the footsteps approached them. Soon, Chachamaru materialized from the opening followed by the purple-haired librarian.

Yue almost leaped up to greet Nodoka but stopped as she noticed something was different about her. The teenager's complexion was much paler than before whilst her eyes seemed to lack some of the spark that they once held in them. Haruna, however, did not seem to notice these changes and ran forward.

"Thank the kami you're all right," the mangaka exclaimed as she embraced her friend. Nodoka returned the embrace.

"I'm fine now, but I wouldn't have been if it were not for Negi-kun happening upon me in my condition."

The young vampire cleared his throat politely and said, "Now that everyone is present, Saotome-san, please return to your seat, and I shall begin to explain what has transpired over the past few days."

Nodoka took her place next to her "sire" as Haruna returned to the couch with the philosopher and the nun. Chachamaru soon came around with cups of tea and handed them out to everyone in the living room. Finishing her duty, she then stood behind Evangeline. Negi took a sip of his tea and set it down on a coffee table that sat between the couches.

"Now, perhaps I should start at the beginning. As Kasuga-san may have suggested to you already, most of us here are indeed vampires. You already know most of us, but I shall make formal introductions since we are now being introduced without any sort of mask. I am Nevyn Gil Springfield, born in the latter half of the 15th Century and turned during that time. To the left of me is Baron Reinhart von Luitpolding of the Duchy of Bavaria, born near the end of the 10th Century. Due to certain circumstances, he became a vampire to avenge the death of his parents and has used the surname of Faustus to conceal his identity.

"To my right is Evangeline Athanasia Katherine McDowell, once the heir to Castle Galloway during the 14th Century. She was turned against her will and avenged herself upon the man who turned her. You already know Chachamaru. However, what you don't know is that she was turned nearly five years ago as a means to save her life from a brutal gang rape that would have killed her had it not been for Evangeline's intervention. And, last but not least, seated to your right is Anastasia Yurievna Cocolova, a close friend of mine for the past 300 years who once gave counsel to Count Dracula himself."

There was an indignant scoff from the mangaka.

"_Vampires_?! Now I've heard everything. I think this is all a bad dream, so I'm just going to pinch myself and wake up where everything is back to normal and we're just an almost normal class that lead mundane lives."

"But Paru," Yue chided, "we've already come this far. There's no other explanation as to what could be going on here."

"If they honestly expect me to believe they're vampires," the mangaka said, pointing a finger at the four individuals opposite of them, "then I want proof!"

"If it is proof that you seek," Reinhart stated as he rose from the couch, "then it is proof that I shall give." He walked around the coffee table and stood in front of Misora.

"Kasuga Misora, you know very well what I am and the code of honor to which I am bound. While you may not follow that same code, you have laid your hand upon one of royal ancestry. That is a crime that I simply cannot allow to go unpunished."

Misora began to shake violently as the cold, grey eyes of her teachers' assistant came close to her face. Negi rose slightly, saying, "Reinhart, I would hope that you are not intending to turn her."

"Do not fear for your student's safety for I intend to do no such thing," the German reassured the young boy. "I am merely giving _Fräulein _Saotome the proof that she seeks as well as 'punishing' _Fräulein _Kasuga for laying her hand on a member of nobility." Grabbing a hold of Misora's arm, he opened his mouth. The two friends could only stare in shock as they saw two lengthy fangs protrude from the burgundy-haired teenager's mouth and insert themselves into the young nun's arm. Misora began to feel faint as the vampire began to drain her. However, just as soon as it started, it was all over. The vampire licked his lips and stood up before proceeding to lay his hand on the nun's shoulder. A short burning sensation assailed her, causing her to tense up. Shortly thereafter, the he released his hold and resumed his place next to Negi.

"Now do you believe, Saotome Haruna?"

The mangaka could only nod slowly, her mind still reeling from the event she had just borne witness to. Yue took the opportunity to ask, "Then what about you, Īnchō?"

Chuckling slightly, Asuna replied, "I am not a vampire. Rather, I am a vampire hunter by trade. Dean Konoe has assigned me to keep guard over Evangeline in case she tries to do anything to harm the students."

"But why Eva-chan?" the philosopher inquired.

Misora finally spoke in saying, "Lady McDowell is known by many in the magical community and amongst the vampires of the world as the _Maga Nosferatu_, or 'the Undying Mage'. Vampires normally do not use magic. However, there are those who are amongst an order of vampires known as 'Shinso' that have the ability to learn and use magic. It's primary function is to act as a means of extending the length of time that vampires need to feed. However, the longer they wait to feed on blood, the less powerful their magic becomes."

"Well," Evangeline said, "you definitely are a learned one Kasuga-san."

"I've considered all things occult a personal area of expertise," the nun replied. "Most of my work involves exorcisms and keeping the barrier erected around the campus."

"I think we've detracted a bit from our original conversation," Yue said as she turned to Negi. "Now that we've been formally introduced, how does Nodoka tie into all of this?"

* * *

><p>The sound of someone rapping at his office door stirred Konoemon Konoe from his light slumber. Standing up, he stretched his limbs while grousing, "Who would wish to see me at a time like this?"<p>

After feeling his old and tired joints loosen and warm up a bit, he called out, "Who is it?"

"Konoe-sama," a young woman's voice replied, "It is I, Ayaka Yukihiro."

The old mage was a bit perplexed as to why the heiress would want to see him, especially at a time where it was a fair amount past curfew. Keeping this in mind, he responded, "Come in Yukihiro-kun."

The door slid open slightly to reveal the somewhat troubled blonde. Tuning her Ki to make sure she wasn't being followed, she closed the door behind her and proceeded to bow in apology to the dean.

"I must beg forgiveness for disturbing you at this time of night, Konoe-sama."

"And your apology is duly accepted. However, your appearance does beg the question as to why you would seek me out, especially after curfew."

Calming her nerves and sighing morosely, the ōkami replied, "I come to speak to you in regards to Miyazaki-san."

"Oh?" the old man replied, his bushy eyebrows arching slightly. "What do you wish to tell me?"

"Konoe-sama, it was I who attacked her. It was never my intention to do any harm to her in the first place. I merely had a severe anxiety attack and lost control of my emotions. In order to maintain my human form, I must remain in a meditative state of mind. Had Negi-sensei not stopped me, I would've probably killed her."

"And I commend you for your courage to come to me and confess your actions. Because you have willingly come forward, I will not punish you."

The look of shock on the young heiress' face couldn't have been more obvious at that point in time.

"However," the mage continued as he gestured for Ayaka to take a seat, "you must tell me the true motive as to why you enrolled here. I am well aware that your father sent you, but was he acting on someone's orders? Or, did he come to this decision on his own?"

Taking her seat, the ōkami poured her heart out to the old man.

"A few months ago, my father was contacted by someone saying that they needed a favor to be carried out. He didn't reveal who he was, but he insisted that by doing this, our family would find themselves as a part of the greatest clan of ōkami to ever lay dominance over the undead. Father was lead to believe that the vampires were waging war on us and that the ringleader was none other than the _Maga Nosferatu_ herself, Evangeline A.K. McDowell."

"I see. And what else did he say?"

"He merely asked that we send our strongest warriors to take her out. The demon attack that your staff dealt with last month was caused by our actions. The man learned about this and said his superiors would only give us one more chance to prove ourselves. They insisted that I be sent to take care of this as I would be unassuming enough."

Konoemon folded his hands into the sleeves of his hakama and leaned forward.

"And did you find out who this man's superiors were?" he inquired.

"I think my father mentioned something about a council of some sort that was based in Greece," Ayaka replied.

"This is most troublesome," the dean replied as he leaned back in his chair. "Yukihiro-kun, I believe that your family are nothing more than pawns in a conspiracy that has been brewing over some time now."

"What do you mean?" the young lady asked, the worry and slight panic apparent in her voice.

"Keep yourself calm, Yukihiro-kun. Remember your meditation."

The ōkami nodded and began to refocus her emotions and calm herself as the mage continued to say, "If my suspicions are correct, there is a body at work here that wishes to undo an alliance that has developed over the course of the past hundred years. For now, you should return to you dorm. I shall escort you there so you aren't caught and punished by the staff. We shall continue this discussion in the morning."

* * *

><p>"So you think that Yukihiro-san is the one who attacked Nodoka?" Yue inquired as she sipped at her cup of tea.<p>

Negi nodded and replied, "The evidence strongly points to her. However, we have no intention of directly going after her. That would draw too much attention. Rather, I have a friend that is keeping her eyes on Yukihiro-san. If she does anything to reveal her secret or attempts to attack another student, we'll be ready for her."

As if on cue, the friend in question appeared from the chimney flue in a mess of ashes and feathers. Coughing violently, she made her way to her master and perched on his shoulder. Haruna proceeded to inquire, "Is that your friend?"

"Friend?" the raven replied, causing the mangaka and philosopher to jump slightly. "More like servant if you ask me."

"Enough of that Camri," the young vampire reproached, "Any activity to report?"

"I didn't see anything terribly out of the ordinary. However, I did notice that the young woman you asked me to follow made her way into what appeared to be the central building. My eyesight doesn't fail me, Master. She's definitely an ōkami as these people call them."

Negi nodded.

"Thank you for your help. Go and get yourself some rest."

Camri saluted her master with her wing before crowing and flying back up the chimney. Negi turned to Reinhart and asked, "What do you suppose she was doing?"

"If my surmise is correct," the German replied, "she probably went to seek out _Herr_ Konoe to confess her crimes to him."

"If that's the case," Anya replied, "then it might complicate things even further."

"Only time will tell."

Misora cleared her throat politely, causing Reinhart to look her way.

"Is there something you wish to ask of me, _Fräulein_?"

"Hai," the nun replied before pulling the right shoulder of her habit down, revealing an intricate coat-of-arms emblazoned on the shoulder blade. The coat-of-arms was a kite shield emblazoned with a pair of black, angel's wings inlaid behind twin scythes and a dragon's head. Beneath the shield was a scroll that read "_**Die Hand der Vergeltung**_".

"I presume you have marked me for servitude?"

"Indeed," the vampire replied. "As for the terms of your service, I shall discuss that with you at your earliest convenience."

Turning to Yue and Haruna, he said, "Normally, you would have your memories wiped and be drained dry. However, I think there might be some use for you."

* * *

><p><em>Lexicon<em>

**Die Hand der Vergeltung** - The Hand of Vengeance


	19. Adagio con Moto

**A/N:** The next chapter should be up within the next week or two, but I won't make any promises as far as regularity of updates. For now, to whet your appetite even further, I present to you the second Intermezzo: _**Adagio con Moto**_. As always, reviews/feedback are always appreciated and help fuel me with ideas or improvements.

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Mahou Sensei Negima or any of the characters/places therein. All rights belong to their respective proprietors. Reinhart Faustus is owned by Ghost Writer Orange-kun. I own all other original characters.

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><p>Intermezzo II: <em>Adagio con moto<em>

The meaty sound of a fist connecting with a cheek, followed by the thud of a body hitting the ground, echoed throughout the abandoned warehouse.

"I grow tired of your antics," the aggressor stated in a thick Slavic accent, cracking his knuckles and staring down at the middle-aged man that lay at his feet. Kneeling down, he then continued, "Now, answer my question. Why have you been turning innocents and using them to increase your ranks?"

The man mustered up enough courage to spit at his attacker. Blood and a fang fell a short distance from the latter's feet. Sighing in consternation, the aggressor prepared to haul his victim upright and deal another blow when a woman's voice called out, "That's enough Boris. He won't talk."

"What shall I do with him, Countess Vasquez?"

Elena Vasquez, the countess of the Salem Coven, stepped out of the shadows into the silver light of the moon that shone through a broken window. She was bedecked in a maroon blouse with black dress pants covered by a black trench coat. Running a tan-colored hand through her raven-black locks, she approached the wounded figure being held up by the strongman.

"You know I have the power to spare your life as well as to end your meager existence," the vampire warned. "The choice is yours."

Silence reigned supreme in the vast chamber.

"No answer? Very well then. Remove him from my sight."

Boris replied with a smart and quick, "Of course Milady," before hauling the man into the shadows.

_This is most troubling_, the vampire thought. _The **Nightwalkers** are beginning to go rogue with no explanation. Could it be that they feel threatened by the increasing number of werewolves? Or is there something even more sinister at hand?_

As she pondered these and many more questions, another figure made themselves present and took their place next to her.

"I've sent the **Vigilum** to locate and erase any signs of activity that our friend may have been involved in. Any and all fledglings and members of his coven are either dead or will be by the morning."

"Excellent work as usual Josiah," Elena replied. Choosing the imposing African American as her Imperator, and her soul mate, were the best decisions she had made in her several hundred years of existence.

Josiah was a quiet man whose large stature spoke great measures about his physical strength and integrity. Though hidden beneath his dark clothing, the scars of his past had come to further demonstrate his strength. During the time that she, herself, was nothing more than an Imperatrix, she had found him wounded and being hunted by slavers some 150 years prior to the present time. Taking pity on him and recalling the time when she, herself, had served as a slave and concubine, she took him into safety and turned him. In turn, he dedicated his life and devotion to protecting her and insuring her safety, even to the point of confessing his love to her.

With the blessing of her Count, they were wed and became soul mates for all eternity. It was such a shame when the old man finally got himself caught by vampire hunters shortly after they had been wed. By natural right of ascension, she came to take over the fairly sizable coven of Shinso that had been in hiding since the events of the Grand Ball those many years ago.

"Any idea why they're doing this Elena?"

"There are several theories that we have to entertain," the vampire replied, "but my best guess is that there's a conflict brewing between the Nightwalkers and the werewolves. The bad blood between those of impure blood and impure lineage will never end."

"Have you had any contact with the Council in regards to this theory?"

"Interestingly enough, they have recently sent an emissary to speak on their behalf. They have reason to believe there is a rogue pack of werewolves that have been contacting various creatures to take care of other Shinso."

Josiah merely shrugged and replied, "It doesn't surprise me. After all, the Lycans have thought very lowly of those who are not born of the blood. 'Twould only be natural for them to blame their 'lesser' brethren."

Before Elena could reply, a voice called out, "And weren't we all of that same line of thought many years ago?"

Recognition dawned on the vampire's features at the sound of the voice. Turning in the speaker's direction, she watched as a man with an unkempt, silvery beard and moustache made his way into the beam of moonlight. Walking forward, she bowed her head slightly and proceeded to kiss each of the man's cheeks as was custom of her heritage.

"It's been too long, old friend."

"Likewise," the newcomer replied as he returned the gesture. "So, from Imperatrix to Countess in the matter of the 300 years it's been since that fateful night... most impressive."

"Time does fly indeed. Let me start by introducing my Imperator and soul mate, Josiah Greenwood."

The older man sized up the vampire before taking his hand in a firm grip and shaking it.

"You definitely have the size and aura of one who is able to command respect and fear. I like that. Your position is well earned."

"Thank you," the younger vampire replied.

Turning back to Elena, the bearded vampire cotinued, "While we have much to catch up on, there as pressing matter at hand that I must ask you about. Are you aware that there is a Nightwalker on the loose turning mortals into fledglings?"

"Aye," the countess replied. "My strong-arm and personal bodyguard Boris found him attempting to turn another one and brought him here. We tried to interrogate him in order to find out why he's been doing this. We've been tracking him for some time and believe he's in on some sort of conspiracy to out our **Pureblood** brethren."

"I presume he held his tongue."

"That he did. I know he must be hiding something, but if he will not talk, then we will kill him as an example to those who would or would attempt to betray us."

The elder vampire stroked his beard thoughtfully as he pondered some possible solutions to assist his old friend.

"I'm not sure if you've heard, but Lady McDowell has made herself quite a name over the past century. She had been committing crimes against those of magical blood and Mundanes who have attempted to take her head as their trophy. They called her the _Maga Nosferatu_."

"Horacio most definitely taught her well," the vampire replied. "I noted you saying she _had been_ committing crimes. I presume then she is either dead or captured."

"The latter would be correct," Josiah stated. "She was apparently found stalking some mortals on the grounds of an esteemed educational facility in the Kanto region of Japan. The Archmage of that region, one Konoemon Konoe, was the one who captured and imprisoned her there."

This little fact interested the elder vampire greatly. He had already considered it a great blessing that he found one of the more well established Shinso covens still intact and alive. To hear that there was at least one other Shinso alive brought him immense relief.

"Perhaps we should endeavor ourselves to traveling to this facility, for where there is one Shinso, more are bound to be nearby."

* * *

><p><em>Lexicon:<em>

**Adagio con moto**, like _grave_, is a prescribed measure of tempo for classical compositions. Adagio dictates the piece be played slowly and stately. Con moto would dictate that the movement be played with some movement/feeling as well.

**Nightwalker** is a term that is well-known amongst fans of the vampire culture that refers to vampires that are only active during dark hours as they cannot tolerate the sunlight. In the universe of _Dark Waltz_, the term still holds the same meaning but also infers the vampire in question was turned by conventional means (bitten in the neck and having taken in the sire's blood).

**Vigilum**, literally "guard" or "police", is a body within Shinso covens that enforce the laws and by-laws established by either the Count/Countess or his/her advisors.

**Pureblood** in this continuity is a term used by some of the more conservative Shinso when referring directly to themselves.


	20. Of What Has and Will Come to Pass

**A/N:** This chapter is the longest chapter in the story thus far as it covers a lot of ground. There are a few key points that allude to the future of the story. Also, expect an appearance from everyone's favorite Library Pirate (though his role in this story is slightly different). I've also taken some personal liberties in giving a first name to Sister Shakti. As always, comments/reviews or critiques are always welcome. Enjoy the latest installment of _Dark Waltz: The First Movement_.

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Mahou Sensei Negima. All characters/locations herein are property of their respective owners. Reinhart von Luitpolding (Faustus) is property of Ghost Writer Orange-kun.

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><p>XVII. Of What Has and Will Come to Pass<p>

_A Few Days Later_

Yue Ayase and Haruna Saotome were unsure of whether to consider their situation happenstance or a predetermined course of action laid out by the kami. First, their best friend was attacked by one of their classmates who happened to be an ōkami demon. Then, said friend was turned into a vampire by an ancient, magical ritual to give her a new lease on life. After that, they discovered one of their other classmates was a mage. To top it all off, yet two more of their classmates, their teacher, and their teacher's aide were all vampires.

At the present moment, it was nearly six in the morning as both had awoken to the sun's golden rays peeking through the curtains. The philosopher was the first to rise from her slumber. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she proceeded to slip her feet into a pair of slippers awaiting her at the base of the bunk bed she shared with Nodoka. Yue took notice of the latter opening the refrigerator that sat in their dorm and pulling out a bag of blood. Shivering slightly, the purple-haired girl reminded herself that this was something she would have to get used to seeing on a regular basis. While she was more than happy that Nodoka was still alive (to an extent), she still couldn't get over the fact that she was now a creature that was considered by much of the world to be inherently evil.

Most of the class were more than welcoming when the soft-spoken librarian had returned from her "hospital stay". Even Ayaka, whom the two had learned was an ōkami demon earlier that week, was warm and hospitable toward her classmate. Perhaps she was remorseful and wished to make amends through small gestures and the like. Whatever the reason, classes seemed to return to what was considered normal for Class 2A.

Smiling somewhat bleakly, she proceeded to the lavatory in the room to wash her face and comb any offending strands of wild hair back in place. After feeling invigorated after the wash, she walked out to be greeted by Nodoka's cheerful voice.

"Ohayō gozaimasu Yuecchi."

"Ohayō," the philosopher replied in her signature dull tone of voice before opening the refrigerator herself and fetching a jug of orange juice, a carton of eggs, and some bacon. As she poured herself a glass of juice, she took note of the mangaka that had finally managed to pull herself out of her bed and donned her spectacles over tired eyes.

"Ohayō," Haruna said as she opened a cabinet and pulled out a skillet. Nodoka and Yue replied the same as the former punctured the bag of blood with her new fangs and poured a bit into a small glass. The mangaka turned back to her now immortal friend and asked, "I take it you wouldn't be interested in anything for breakfast?"

"Actually," the vampire replied, "I can still enjoy normal food even though it won't provide any sustenance for me."

Raising her eyes in mild amusement, Haruna turned toward the kitchenette and assisted Yue in cooking up a light breakfast. The air in the dorm room felt a bit more unusual than it normally was. The girls always prepared themselves a light breakfast every Saturday morning before heading out to Library Island to begin their weekend routine. This routine consisted of spending five hours at Library Island as volunteer librarians. After lunch, the girls would then meet up with other members of the Library Expedition Club to continue further into the basements of the mysterious structure and catalog the older tomes that somehow remained in almost perfect condition.

Within fifteen minutes, breakfast had been prepared and placed at the small table that occupied the central part of the dorm.

"Itadakimasu."

With the thanksgiving for the meal taken care of, the girls began to take in their nourishment in stoic silence. However, it became too much for Haruna to bear. Turning to Nodoka, she asked, "So, what's it like to drink blood?"

Nodoka put down her cup after taking a sip and replied, "To be honest Paru, it is no different than drinking water. However, it appears that it tends to take on a certain taste depending on different factors in regards to the individual from whom the blood comes."

"That would make some sense," Yue said as she finished off her glass of orange juice. "For example, someone who is extremely athletic may have a more 'robust' flavor with their blood. So, from that conclusion, we could then liken blood to wine."

Haruna nodded in some agreement as she finished her breakfast. Standing up, she took her plates to the sink to clean them. She pulled out her mobile as a text message came through. Reading it, she called back, "It looks like the Library Expedition Club is calling off the activities for today. However, we can still do a little bit of exploring of our own. And besides, with Nodoka's newly enhanced sight, smell, and hearing, it might come to great use of us."

Nodoka nodded before proceeding to pull out her book bag and the book that lay within. The mangaka looked over her shoulder at the old book's title. The title was in western characters, but it was a language that she had never seen before.

"I've never seen that book before. What's the title?"

"Oh, it's called _Principium Magicam_, but it's in Latin. The title translates to _Magical Principle_."

Haruna's eyes widened in shock.

"Since when have you been able to speak Latin?"

"And yet why do you call her Honya?" Yue replied. "After all, she's been going to this Library long before we even joined the expedition club, so it would only be natural that she'd take the time to pick up another language. I'm very impressed Nodoka."

The vampire blushed at the compliment before waving it off.

"It's nothing, really."

"Though, I must ask when you learned about magic?"

"I never knew anything about magic. I just found this one day when we were cataloging books on level 2B. Someone must have left it there without realizing it. I merely thought it would be an interesting read seeing as I was self-taught in Latin. But, now that I know magic does exist, perhaps it can be of use to us."

Haruna looked up at the clock which now read seven in the morning. Standing up and heading toward the lavatory to change, she called back, "We might as well head over to Library Island now. The sooner we can get started, the more luck we'll have in finding what we're looking for before curfew."

* * *

><p>Sister Pavana Shakti could not be more upset than she was now. It was bad enough that one of her charges had revealed herself to two Mundane students, but now she had to deal with the fact that said charge had become the indentured servant to a vampire of all creatures. At the moment, she was pacing back in forth in the <strong>rectory<strong> of St. Ursula's scolding said charge.

"I'm appalled at your actions Sister Kasuga. You should be ashamed of yourself. Not only did you leave the convent after curfew, but you had to go and reveal yourself to Mundane students. That, in itself, is a crime worth having your powers removed and you being turned into an ermine. What in God's name would possess you to do this?"

Misora began fidgeting with the hem of her habit morosely. The good nun had taken her in as her charge when they discovered the young teenager's aptitude for magic. She had been there as a "second mother" for her during her studies and exam that had promoted her to the probationary level before she would take her final test to classify her as a full-fledged Magister. The tone of voice that her mentor was using with her only made the feeling of betrayal worse.

"Furthermore," the nun continued irately, "you can expect that Dean Konoe will not be pleased that you laid a hand upon a member of his faculty. He is already aware that you are the charge of this house of God and that all punishments will be measured out by us. But, perhaps, if Father Sōjiro can work things out, we may be able to get you out of your predicament so that we may punish you accordingly."

As she finished, the sound of knocking was heard from the rectory door. Pavana turned to another nun in the room.

"Sister Rosa, would you be so kind as to tell whoever it is that there is some important business going on and that we are not to be disturbed."

Misora glanced upward to see her closest friend in the convent, one Cocone Fatima Rosa, rose up and walked toward the door. She couldn't help but feel as though she had betrayed a fellow mage and the one person she wholly trusted on campus too. Cocone had lost her family and colleagues when headhunters had all but wiped out the New Delhi Magic Association. The attack was unprecedented and rocked a large portion of the global community of magi. Sister Shakti had been doing some mission work in the area around New Delhi at the time when the attack was carried out. She came across the ruins of the academy that had been hidden in plain sight and found the then five-year-old Cocone mortally injured amongst the rubble. Taking her back to the mission she was staying in, she nursed the young girl back to health and took her under her wing. Even before Misora had taken her solemn vows, she had met the young Indian girl in one of her elementary classes. The two had become friends real fast due in part to Misora's disarming and friendly nature.

Cocone opened the door and was about to speak when she took notice of the arrival. Turning back to the elder nun, the girl said, "Sister Shakti, it's Professor Faustus."

"Oh? Then send him in. I have a few words that I wish to exchange with him."

The nun nodded. Opening the door, she bowed her head slightly and gestured for the vampire to enter. He had scarce set foot into the living room of the rectory when the angry sister had marched right up to him and nearly got into his face.

"What in God's holy name is the idea of turning one of my charges into your servant?! Do you have any idea of the ramifications that this will bring down upon you?!"

Reinhart held up his right hand disarmingly whilst affixing the nun with a cold stare.

"If you would be so kind as to get out of my face Sister," the noble stated in a tone as cold as his gaze, "perhaps we can talk as civilized individuals."

The nun did as was requested and took her place standing in front of Misora whilst Reinhart stood across from her.

"Now then," Reinhart began, "I know how upset you are, but considering you knew what I am when I first set foot into this place, you also knew the code of honor that I am bound by."

"Which," Pavana retorted, "we do not observe either. Now, Sister Kasuga is knowledgeable of the occult and would've known, she also is aware that we will not accept this punishment."

"Where is the pastor in all of this? Is he not the head of the magi here in this place?"

"Father Sōjiro was merely assigned here. He oversees the services and the missionary work that we do. I, however, am the mage in charge of those among us who share in that gift. Had you contacted me before carrying out your own justice, this whole fiasco may have been avoided."

The vampire hardened his gaze causing the nun to quail slightly.

"Is it not written that 'Thou shalt not bear false witness*' Sister Shakti?" the vampire inquired, his voice hardening with his gaze. "You are a terrible liar. _Where is Father Sōjiro_?"

Before she could speak, a doorway to the side of the living room of the rectory opened, revealing the individual in question. Looking between the vampire and the nun, he defused the situation in saying, "It seems you two have already become acquainted. Now, if you'll please take a seat, we can begin."

As both reclined in separate chairs, the venerable priest continued to speak.

"Professor Faustus, I was just about to call you here to discuss the recent happenings, but it seems you have already come with the intention to speak to me regarding Sister Misora's punishment. Allow me to fully introduce myself. I am Father Isoshi Sōjiro of the **Order ****of Friars Minor**."

Reinhart stood and bowed at the waist* as per Japanese customs.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance Father. I am Reinhart von Luitpolding, though I have taken the given surname of Faustus."

Father Sōjiro returned the gesture as Reinhart took his seat.

"A pleasure as well. Now, Sister Misora here has just informed me and Sister Shakti today about the recent happenings. Seeing as you are of the Shinso order of vampires, you are more than aware of the prescribed stipulations of the **Treaty of 1890**. Per protocol, allow me to present to you Sister Cocone Fatima Rosa as the witness to this mediation. Do you have a witness readily available as well?"

"Indeed I do," the vampire replied. Snapping his fingers together, he called out, "Inugami!"

Shortly thereafter, a man materialized from the shadow of a nearby wall. The newcomer, a Japanese man, was bedecked in a maroon and black hakama. His long, black hair was tied back into a ponytail so as to keep it out of his black, seemingly lifeless eyes. Bowing deeply, he inquired, "You called for me, Milord?"

Gesturing for the newcomer to take a seat, Reinhart said, "This is my servant, Kotaro Inugami. He will be my witness for this mediation."

"Very well," the priest replied. "Now this is going to be fairly short. As you have probably guessed, I am a mage as well. Though I do not practice magic much anymore, I keep a few spells readily available in the event I have to exorcise a particularly tricky demon. As I am also a member of _**Lucem Sanctam**_, it has come upon me to contact my superior in regards to the punishment of Sister Misora."

"Pardon my interruption Father," the vampire said. "If memory serves me correctly, Cardinal Mehmeti still heads _Lucem Sanctam_, correct? If he does, I see this discussion going nowhere."

"His Eminence passed away a few years ago," Father Sōjiro replied. "The order is currently overseen by Cardinal Sebastian Emilie. Now, getting back to the current matter at hand, Cardinal Emilie spoke with the Holy Father* for further instruction. It has been decided that, since Sister Misora is still a student of Mahora Academy, the Vatican has no immediate say in the punishment that is decided by the faculty member that has been struck."

At this, Sister Shakti stood up in a near fit of rage.

"How can the Holy Father allow this sort of travesty?!" she screamed. "For all we know, he could use this to his advantage and turn her into one of his kind or use her as a personal blood bank!"

"Pavana, control yourself," the priest reprimanded. Sister Shakti bowed her head in shame. It was extremely rare for Father Sōjiro to address her by her first name. That honor was only used if she was in any serious amount of trouble, and she realized that she had stepped over the line in her behavior. Bowing, she implored, "Forgive me, Father. I am merely trying to keep the safety of one of my charges in mind."

"And you are forgiven," the old mage replied before turning back to Reinhart. "However, there is one request that the Cardinal Emilie made. He asks that no harm be brought upon Sister Kasuga and that she be treated well."

"You have my word that no harm will inflicted." However, Cocone stood up, walked over toward, and knelt down in front of the vampire. Clasping her hands together, she implored of him, "Please promise me that you will take care of her. She is my closest friend, and I don't want anything to happen to her."

"Sister Rosa," the priest began before being interrupted by the vampire.

"I promise you that I will take care of your friend, Sister Rosa. As God is my witness, she will return to you unharmed and alive."

"Arigatō," the young nun said, bowing deeply. The vampire smiled warmly. It was very clear to him how much Misora meant to the girl. Turning back to the priest, he inquired, "Is there anything else you wish to discuss Father?"

"How long can we expect her to be indentured to you?"

"When I have determined that she has atoned for her actions, she will be released from her bonds. Does that answer suffice?"

"As vague as that answer can be, it will suffice."

Father Sōjiro turned toward Misora.

"Now, young lady, under normal circumstances, I would refer you to the Vatican to have you stripped of your powers and turned into an ermine fairy. However, seeing as the circumstances in this case are not within normal parameters, I shall let it slide. If you reveal yourself any further to other Mundane students in this academy, rest assured that I will have you sent to the Vatican for the appropriate punishment, granted that Baron von Luitpolding has no issue with that."

"You have my word that she will not do anything of the sort."

Standing up, Reinhart stretched slightly before saying, "Seeing as this discussion is over, may I bring _Fräulein _Kasuga with me for a moment to discuss a few things with her?"

"Begging your forgiveness Milord," Kotaro said, "but I would pray that you do not intend to do to her what Lord Albireo Imlauer* did to those that were indentured to him."

"Do you honestly take me for that?" Reinhart chided before replying, "Nay. Unlike my cousin, I refuse to subject myself to such perverse fetishes. Now, _Fräulein _Kasuga, if you will come with me please."

* * *

><p>"I don't think we're supposed to be this far down." Yue stated matter-of-factually as she shone her torch about the towering bookcases that dwarfed them.<p>

"I'm sure we're still on level 3B," came Haruna's reply. "That last set of stairs just leads us to the lower level of shelves. Besides, there are still hundreds, if not thousands, of books that are just waiting to be cataloged. Maybe we'll find something down here in regards to vampires."

The purple-haired philosopher rolled her eyes as she turned back to scouring the shelves whilst Nodoka had ventured down another aisle. The latter had no need of a torch since, as Haruna had pointed out earlier, her newly acquired night vision provided more than enough ample light in the vast darkness of the basement. She had considered herself extremely fortunate to have found the tome on magic whilst cataloging some of the books on level 2B earlier that week. Most of the tomes they were coming across were written in a variety of ancient tongues ranging from Greek to Persian. Though she couldn't read them, she did come across a few scrolls and other literature in Latin. Most of them, however, were old folktales and alchemical recipes for various ailments from what she could tell.

"Any luck over there?" Yue called out from the other row.

"No," came Haruna's reply from three or four rows over. Nodoka called back, "I'm not finding anything over here either."

Sighing dejectedly, the philosopher continued her search. Minutes turned into hours as the trio continued to search high and low through the seemingly endless bookshelves without realizing they were traveling lower and lower into the depths of the decades old structure. By the time noon had rolled around, the girls found themselves taking a break and munching on a light meal. Looking about her, Haruna asked, "I know we've asked this many times before, but I wonder how far this library reaches below the surface."

"As of the last inventory," Yue replied, "There were four basement levels. Unfortunately, without any indicators, those four levels could very well be ten or more."

The sound of a door opening suddenly caused Nodoka's vampire instincts to kick in. Leaping upright, her fangs lengthened as she turned toward the sound. She could hear heavy, deliberate footsteps making their way towards her and her friends as Yue and Haruna finally heard the sound of the door opening.

"Nodoka, what's wrong?"

The vampire took up a defensive stance and called out, "Stay back!"

"Who's there?" the newcomer called out, the voice betraying that it was an older gentleman. Nodoka could now see the glow of what appeared to be an oil lamp illuminating the shelves several rows away from them. The mangaka and the philosopher joined the vampire where she stood and took up positions behind her. Eventually, the stranger made their appearance.

The older gentleman appeared to be dressed in the garb of a Western cowboy from the 1800s. His long white hair was tied back into a ponytail. What was most striking about him was how well built he was for a man his age. Fidgeting with the patch that covered one of his eyes, he focused on the three girls for a bit.

"Junior high, eh? You do realize that you aren't supposed to be down here."

Nodoka and Yue turned toward Haruna. Rubbing her head in embarrassment, she replied to the old man, "Gomen nasai, but aren't we on level 3B?"

Chuckling good-naturedly, the man replied, "You're actually on level 8B. I'm surprised you made it this far down. Not even the college students are allowed down here."

Before the purple-haired philosopher could reprimand the mangaka, Nodoka asked the old man, "Aren't you Yamada-san the groundskeeper?"

"Indeed I am. And you are Miyazaki Nodoka."

"Wait, how did you know my name even though we have never met?"

The old man tapped a finger near his good eye as he replied, "Nothing ever escapes me. I know a fair amount about this school and about the patrons who come here. I also tend to keep track of the volunteer log to see who is covering the library before I turn in for the day. However, I surmise that you are not here for small talk, but for something in regards to the hierarchy of the race that you have been inducted into. Would I be correct?"

Yue found herself a bit speechless.

"How do you know of that? Are you a mage too?"

"Seeing as you already know of the existence of magic Ayase Yue, I shall answer your question. I am indeed a mage."

"Just how many mages are living in this academy?" Haruna inquired.

"To be honest with you, Saotome Haruna, not even I am sure of that anymore. I have lived here for quite a long time. In my time as groundskeeper, I have discovered many books that have been lost to the annals of time. However, that is a story for another time. Getting back to the matter at hand, I believe I may know where you might find the book that you are seeking. Please wait here."

A matter of a few minutes passed when the old man returned with a heavy tome in tow. Presenting them the tome, he said, "This is what you are seeking. I've taken the liberty of marking the chapter that would give you the information you need."

Taking the tome from the old man's hands, Nodoka bowed her head slightly before blowing the heavy coating of dust off the cover. The text, which was in Latin with the English Translation below it, read _The Appendices of Magic, Mythical Beings, and the Arcan__e_. Looking up, she said, "Arigatō gozaimasu Yamada-san. This is most appreciated."

"It's the least I can do for you," the mage replied. "After all, you have many years ahead of you. Take what you learn and have learned with you into the future. You have much to learn as well, Saotome-kun and Ayase-kun. Your involvement in recent events have changed the course of your future. Now, all three of you should get back to the upper floors before someone questions why you are down here. If you head three aisles down and turn to your left, you'll find a service elevator that will take you back to floor 2B. Just lift the lever up to take you there."

The three girls bowed in thanks and turned to leave. Before they stepped far, Haruna turned toward Yamada.

"One more question, Yamada-san. When you said that mine and Yue's futures have changed, what do you mean by that?"

"I cannot answer your question with any level of certainty," the old mage replied as he turned to return to his duties. "However, what has and will come to pass will require the utmost dedication to believing in things that you would have considered impossible had things had not happened the way they have. Whether you believe the kami have outlined this path for you or that fate merely has played a trick, take what you have and cherish it."

With that, he turned down one of the aisles and disappeared into the depths of the library. The girls couldn't help but feel extremely mystified and somewhat perturbed by the last things that the groundskeeper had said. Following his instructions, they found the service elevator and entered it. A few slow minutes later, the three of them emerged from the basement levels and exited the library. The minute they stepped out, they heard the voice of one of the student announcer calling over the campus PA system.

"All members of the Student Patrol and Faculty Patrol please report to the Dean's office. Also, will the following faculty members and students report to the Dean's office: Springfield-sensei, Faustus-sensei, Evangeline A.K. McDowell, Kasuga Misora, Karakuri Chachamaru, Ayase Yue, Miyazaki Nodoka, and Saotome Haruna."

Haruna turned toward the librarian and philosopher.

"What do you suppose the dean wants?"

"Considering what has happened over the past few days," Yue replied, "the dean probably wants a clear picture of what has transpired."

* * *

><p><em>Lexicon and Other Misc. Notes<em>

Reinhart is seen paraphrasing and quoting a part of the Eighth (or Ninth, depending upon the translation) Commandment which fully states that "Thou shalt not bear false witness against they neighbor."

**The Order of Friars Minor** (otherwise known as Franciscans) is an order of priests in the Roman Catholic church that dedicate themselves to the teachings and charitable works carried out by St. Francis of Assisi.

Bowing in Japan is preferable to shaking hands as a sign of greeting. Men usually bow at the waist whilst women usually bend their torso slightly. Hand shaking is usually reserved for business agreements.

**The Treaty of 1890** is merely a plot device that does have relevance to the story. Referred to as the Treaty of Vatican City by those in the magical or vampire communities, it was a covenant made between the Shinso and Vatican to outline how punishments were to be carried out if any member of either group were to lay a hand upon members of nobility or higher prelature of the opposite group.

**Lucem Sanctam** (tr. Order of Sacred Light) is the fictitious order of the Vatican that oversees all magical clergy (i.e. priests, nuns, monks, etc.) within the Roman Catholic Church.

The Pope is often referred to as "the Holy Father" by many Roman Catholics. Considering that Negima takes place between 2002-2004, the Pope at this time would be John Paul II.

Everyone's favorite pervert (second to Jack Rakan) makes a guest mention in this chapter although his surname has been changed to Imlauer for all creative purposes. While he is not a major character in this universe, he may make a few background appearances later on.


	21. Enter the Players

**A/N**: At long last, after countless months of work and lack of brain food, the latest chapter in this movement of Dark Waltz is finally ready and off the press. I will not make any promises for future chapters, but will do my best to try to get them out so as to conclude and prepare myself for my next project. As always, reviews/critiques are appreciated. Hope you enjoy :)

**DISCLAIMER**: _Mahou Sensei Negima_ is property of Ken Akamatsu and all respective publishers. Reinhart von Luitpolding is property of **Ghost Writer Orange-kun**. Thera Mikas, Elena Vasquez, Josiah Greenwood, and Horacio Valdez de la Cuesta are property of **magicafan1989**.

* * *

><p><strong>XVIII. Enter the Players; Of Conflicts New and Old<strong>

"In my time as a member of the Board of Directors at this academy as well as director of this school, I have helped to cultivate and grow many girls into fine young women. However, words fail to describe how deeply disappointed I am in certain individuals who have gotten themselves involved things that they should never have been part of in the first place."

Haruna Saotome and Yue Ayase bowed their heads in shame as Dean Konoe paced back and forth in front of the group of individuals assembled in his office. Alongside the concerned parties that were involved in the incidents over the past week were members from both the Student and Faculty patrols.

"As your teacher's aide undoubtedly pointed out, your memories of all that has transpired should technically be wiped clean so that you may go about your studies and lives without ever knowing of the existence of magic and any other such things. However, at the behest of your teacher, I will not subject you to that. Be advised that if you are to breathe a word of any of what you have seen or will experience, I will not hesitate to reverse my decision."

Both girls bowed their heads again.

"Arigatō gozaimasu," they replied in unison.

Fixing his attention to Negi, the venerable mage said, "And are you willing to take full responsibility of your students so that they will hold true to their vow of silence on these matters?"

"I am," the young vampire replied.

Rubbing his temples in slight defeat with a lace of frustration, Konoemon proceeded to seat himself behind his desk. He poured himself a cup of tea and took a long, appreciative sip before speaking again.

"Now, before we move to the matter at hand, I believe some introductions are in order Negi-kun."

Gesturing to a dark-skinned mage standing to the left of Negi, the Dean continued in saying, "This is Giacomo Gandolfini, an elementary teacher and member of the Faculty Patrol. To his right is Tōko Kuzunoha, a graduate of the Shinmeiryū and head of the Faculty Patrol. On her right is Hikaru Seruhiko, one of your colleagues here at the junior-high division. Behind them is Nijūin Mitsuru, a member of the administration offices.

"I have no need to introduce you to those you have become well acquainted with over the past week. I will, however, let the members of the Student Patrol introduce themselves properly so that you may become more acquainted with those you interact with on a more frequent basis."

The first to stand up was a young woman in the uniform of St. Ursula High School. She appeared to be seventeen years old with blonde hair and mixed Japanese and Caucasian heritage. Bowing, she introduced herself in saying, "I am Takane D. Goodman, a second-year student at the all-girls high school. I received my training at the Salem Magic Association and am here studying here in my mother's homeland while on my probationary assignment. My specialty is in **Shadow Magic**."

The next to stand up was a girl in the junior-high uniform. Her hair was almost fiery red and tied back in two small pigtails with yellow ribbon.

"Sakura Mei, second-year student here at the junior-high. I am still a mage-in-training and hope to reach my probationary stage at the end of this year. My specialty is in **Fire Magic**."

Following Mei was another second-year junior-high student who introduced herself as Natsume Megumi who was known as "Nutmeg" by her closest friends and stated her specialty was in **Water Magic**. The other girls who introduced themselves were all Negi's students, namely Setsuna, Mana, Kaede Nagase (a descendant of the Koga clan of ninjas), and Kū Fei (an expert in **wushu** and transfer student from China).

The fact that some of his students were part of the Student Patrol interested Negi. However, it did not particularly surprise him as he had been aware of the fact that the school had a sort of "aura" about it that lent itself to attracting the kinds of beings that resided within its boundaries. He considered it a blessing of sorts that he could find good company in this foreign land despite that it was mostly magi and a few that he was pretty sure were yōkai (or some variant of the manner). Turning his attention back to the Dean, the young vampire spoke in saying, "Now that we've been acquainted, Konoe-san, there must be some other reason that you've called us in."

"Indeed," the mage replied, addressing the assembled. "Now, the circumstances regarding Miyazaki-kun's condition are regrettable, but the choice was made in her best interests. I presume you've been taught to adapt well enough?"

"Hai," the fledgling replied promptly. "Evangeline-san has taught me well."

"Good. Now, the one responsible for the attack against Miyazaki-kun has come forward and confessed to her crimes. I'm sure our undead brethren know well enough who it is, and I would ask them not to deliver justice upon her as she was under some duress. Of her own accord, she revealed some information to me that may change our aspect on certain situations.

"Some time ago, a group of werewolves claiming to be operating under the orders of the Council of Lycosura arrived in Tōkyō-to. They approached the Fujiwara clan of ōkami – more specifically the Yukihiro family – and lead them to believe that they were kindred spirits."

"Wait a minute," Haruna interrupted. "You're telling us that Ayaka-san is an ōkami yōkai?"

"That is correct, Saotome-kun," Konoemon replied before continuing. "In order to test their strength and loyalty, they gave them orders to attempt to eliminate all vampires within Japan with the primary target being Evangeline. I do not know if and where any are in hiding. What I am certain of is that the Council has been falsely misrepresented and have informed them of the situation."

"But aren't werewolves Lycans to begin with?" Yue inquired of the Dean.

"That isn't entirely true, _Fräulein_ Ayase," came a reply from Reinhart. "Werewolves, in a more traditional sense, are like vampires of the Nightwalker heritage. They are turned as a result of being bitten by one who is infected with werewolf blood. Lycans, like Shinso, are 'born' into the blood. Shinso are turned by a magic ritual like _Fräulein_ Miyazaki endured for her turning. Lycans were gifted by the gods of Ancient Greece with the power to become wolves. Most Lycans only breed with others of the blood in order to keep their lineage pure."

"In short," Asuna added, "they are very strict about their lineage and do not bother turning mortals. But that does beg the question: why is the Council of Lycosura being brought up if they don't bother with the affairs of anyone or anything outside of their governance?"

"Because our good name is being tarnished, Lady Entheofushia" a disembodied female voice stated from outside of the office. All heads turned toward the entrance as a middle-aged woman dressed in an elegant suit and a grey trench coat flanked by two men appearing to be the same age entered the room. Negi, Reinhart, and Evangeline immediately leaped to their feet in a show of aggression before being reprimanded by Dean Konoe.

"All of you please take your seats and allow me to introduce to you Thera Mikas, the current **Alpha** of the Council of Lycosura."

Most of the magi assembled bowed their heads in acknowledgment of the woman's presence. The three vampires in question along with Chachamaru and Nodoka still remained on guard. Anya, however, took it upon herself to stand up and approach the Lycan. Extending her hand, she stated warmly, "It is a pleasure to see you again Thera. I wish we did not have to meet under such circumstances."

"Likewise, Anastasia," the woman said in taking the vampire's hand and shaking it. Reinhart, now more perplexed than anything (and slightly irritated to boot), stood up.

"Forgive my impudence, Lady Cocolova, but why are you fraternizing with an enemy of the vampire race? Is it not against the edicts of the Count to do so?"

Anya turned her attention back to the German vampire and gave him a somewhat apologetic glance.

"That was then, Baron von Luitpolding. This is now. Our races have been slowly dying since the events of the Grand Ball. When news spread that our beloved Count was reportedly dead, the vampire hunters began seeking out other covens. That wasn't enough for them. They soon began to hunt down packs of Lycans and other things they deemed dangerous to mortal society – a witch hunt in a sense."

"While that may be the case, I am still perplexed as to why I wasn't informed when you inducted me into the Order. I feel that is pertinent information that fellow members of the coven should be entitled to."

Thera approached the fuming vampire and extended her hand in an attempt to dissuade his anger.

"So, you are the _Angelo Vindicta_. I have heard much about you and your exploits."

Reinhart reluctantly took the Lycan's hand and shook it cautiously. When the two had released their grip, the latter turned toward Dean Konoe.

"If you do not mind, Konoe-san, I would like to retire to Lady McDowell's residence with her brethren as this is a matter I wish to discuss with the Shinso alone. I assure you that if any plans are made in regards to the conflict at hand, I will relay them to you."

The venerable mage nodded.

"Suit yourself. However, I would like to send Asuna-kun with you seeing as she has some knowledge of the happenings around campus that might interest you. Saotome-kun and Ayase-kun, you are free to return to Library Island if you so wish to do so. I would ask you to remain away from Evangeline's residence unless you are directly summoned by either Negi-kun or Reinhart. Am I clear?"

* * *

><p><em>Several Minutes Later<em>

"I've erected a barrier with a five kilometer radius. Nobody except for undead or Lycans will be able to pass through."

Anya lowered her hands and took her seat near the fireplace of the living room of Evangeline's cottage. The master of the house could be seen grousing slightly as she had never anticipated so many to be taking up shelter in her place.

Nodoka couldn't help but feel small sitting amongst her fellow brethren and the Lycans assembled. She was only used to being in the homely place with Negi, Evangeline, and Chachamaru whenever she felt the need to further her newly acquired abilities. This, however, was different.

_Whatever happens, I don't know if I could ever hope to contribute in any meaningful way,_ she thought pensively.

Her fears were shortly assuaged as the smell of green tea, honey, and lemon came wafting from the kitchen of the small cottage. It always calmed the librarian whenever Chachamaru made tea. It reminded her of her once fairly normal life. The green-haired vampire soon came from the kitchen with her well-known concoction. The green-haired vampire approached Thera and bowed slightly.

"I hope you find this to your enjoyment. It is a special blend of _matcha_ with honey and lemon juice. The aromas are meant to induce a state of relaxation whilst the tea helps heighten awareness."

Nodding in thanks, the wolf took the tea from the junior vampire and took a sip. Sighing appreciatively, she set it aside and watched as the latter finished her rounds and returned the tray to the kitchen. After a minute of silence or so, Anya cleared her throat and began to address everyone in the room.

"Let me take this opportunity to brief my brethren who are not aware of the proceedings that have happened since the dwindling of the hunts against non-Mundane beings. About a century ago, I came out of hiding began roaming the world in hopes of finding any trace of the Shinso that were still amongst the living. In my travels, I encountered Alpha Mikas here. It was less than pleasant and left both of us physically scarred, to say the least. However, whilst recovering from our conflict, we both came to the consensus that our respective bloodlines were dying and that we should work together to save those bloodlines.

"We departed from each others' presence after the aforementioned discussion and went our separate ways. I was unable to locate any Shinso on the Eurasian landmass nor the African continent, save for Negi. I also happened upon Baron von Luitpolding's man-servant, Kotaro Inugami toward the end of last year. It was then I decided to abandon my search for the time being and seek out the Baron, for where there is one of our brethren, more are bound to be present."

Thera took the opportunity to speak shortly after Anya had finished.

"We, the Council, have had some prior trouble with the purported aggressors of the hunts here in Japan. They are a fringe group of non-Lycan packs that claim they've been discriminated by their pureblood brethren. While we do not know of their true intentions, it seems to us that they are attempting to restart the ages old conflict of Lycans versus Shinso that once was. Considering the number of impure werewolves and Nightwalkers in the world, the number of Mundane casualties would be astronomical should said conflict resume in this age of technology and high population. However, we are not entirely alone in our endeavor. We have the backing of a few non-Lycan packs to assist us should the fringe members on either side escalate their conflict, namely the **Cherokee Pact** from the United States and the **Parisian Pack**."

"Any allies we make in these times does help to ensure our survival," Reinhart mused. Turning to Anya, he remarked, "I heard rumors that there was still a coven of Shinso that had survived the aftermath of the Grand Ball and was in hiding in the Americas. We may want to find out if that rumor is true and alert them to the issue at hand."

"Actually," the Alpha replied, "we have recently been in contact with the coven you just mentioned thanks in part to the Cherokee Pact. I sent an emissary last week to implore an allegiance of them. They were open to the notion, but they had been busy cleaning up after a rogue Nightwalker coven that had been turning mortals in order to increase their ranks. They've been stationed out of Salem, Massachusetts for the past century-and-a-half whilst keeping an inconspicuous front. Their numbers have thrived in that time."

"We are not the last of our kind after all," Negi said, his voice laced with hope and surprise. Evangeline squeezed his hand affectionately before inquiring, "Did they mention any plans of sending someone here on their behalf?"

"Not that I am aware of," Thera responded. "Depending on the size of the fledglings produced by the Nightwalkers in the purview of the Salem Coven's territory, they may have a lot of work on their hands. Lady Entheofushia, do you have any news of other covens or packs that might be residing in this region?"

The vampire hunter shook her head.

"Nay. I've been unable to leave campus much as Dean Konoe charged me with the duty of playing guard to Evangeline. Before I became aware of this brewing conflict, I was fairly content with headhunting any sort of vampire, whether they were Nightwalker or Shinso. There has been no sightings or signs of any Coven here in the Mahora prefecture."

Anya sighed in slight defeat at the news.

"Though it does enliven me to hear that there is a coven of Shinso still in existence, our allies are few and far between. We cannot ask either the Kantō or Kansai Magic Associations to become involved in our conflict. Mortal lives are at stake, and we cannot ask the magi, whose numbers are dwindling steadily, to risk their lives to aide us."

Nodoka had been observing the proceedings quietly. Like her teacher and sire, she felt a glimmer of comfort knowing that she could find company amongst more than just her brethren on campus. Whilst the discussion continued, the hairs on the back of her neck began to tingle as her heightened senses of smell and hearing alerted her to the approach of newcomers. Worried that Yue and Haruna were disobeying Dean Konoe, she began to sniff the air gingerly. Her time training with the _Maga Nosferatu_ had paid off as she was now able to discern the scent of the living against that of the undead. These newcomers were most definitely undead.

Clearing her throat as loudly as she could with her soft-spoken voice, she said, "Gomen nasai, but I believe we have company."

The room went quiet as the assembled soon became aware of the presence the librarian had felt. Evangeline approached the door as a heavy hand knocked against its wooden frame. Unable to discern the scent of the individuals, she opened the door only to retract in surprise and gasp in shock.

"_Hola ___niñita___. _It has been too long."

Tears of joy that the Scottish lass had been unable to shed in many centuries welled up in her eyes as she fiercely embraced the well-dressed man at the entrance of the door.

"You damned fool. Where the hell have you been?"

Negi, Reinhart, Chachamaru, and Nodoka looked on in confusion as the man reached down and hugged the girl. Anya, however, smiled at the sight. Rising from her seat. She approached the two and softly coughed. Breaking from the embrace, the man looked knelt down on one knee and kissed the Russian girls hand.

"Imperatrix Cocolova, it is good to see you again after so many years."

"Likewise, _Don_ Horacio Valdez de la Cuesta" she replied. "How did you come to find us?"

The Spaniard gestured to the other three figures accompanying him.

"An old friend of mine happened to locate me and told me that I would find my student here. I, however, did not expect to find you or other members of our noble bloodline here as well. I know why the Alpha of the Council of Lycosura is present, but may I inquire as to why a member of the Entheofushia clan is here as well?"

"I shall explain shortly, old friend," Anya responded. "I have no need to introduce you to Evangeline, but I hope you would allow me to introduce you to the others here." Gesturing to each of the other vampires in turn, she continued, "This is Nevyn Gil 'Negi' Springfield, a young boy who I met once in my travels. He had been turned some 400 years or so ago at the behest of his father due to a terminal illness. He, like most members of our line, is proficient in magic. To his left is Nodoka Miyazaki, a young girl that was the unfortunate victim of a demon attack here. She is not more than a fledgling sired by Negi out of his compassion for her.

"On Negi's right is the newest member of the Order, Reinhart von Luitpolding of Bavaria, more commonly known as the _Angelo Vindicta_. On his right is Chachamaru Karakuri, a fledgling of Evangeline's who had been turned out of her compassion. Asuna Kagurazaka-Entheofushia is here only because she has sworn fraternity to Baron von Luitpolding and is representing the Kansai Magic Association."

"_Es bueno_," the Spaniard replied. He walked up to Reinhart and shook his hand. "I have heard much about you, _Angelo Vindicta_. The Nightwalkers hold you in a high level of fear, and they are quick to talk about you and your abilities."

"The pleasure is mine, _Don_ de la Cuesta."

Releasing his grip, Horacio turned back to Anya and gestured toward his companions.

"This is another old friend of mine. She is Elena Vasquez, the Countess of the Salem Coven."

The woman in question, who was bedecked in a maroon blouse, dress pants, and a black trench coat, came forward and bowed her head in respect to Anya. As she stepped back, Horacio continued in saying, "To her right is her Imperator and husband, Josiah Greenwood. Elena turned him after finding him 150 years ago on the run from slavers during the American Civil War."

The large, African American did as his wife had done earlier and stepped back.

"The man on my left, however, needs no introduction."

The eyes of all in the room befell the hooded man standing next to the Spaniard. As he stepped forward, he lowered his hood and let the cloak he had been wearing fall to the floor behind him. A look of shock crossed their faces as Anya gasped, "It can't be..."

* * *

><p><em>Lexicon and Other Terms<em>

**Shadow**/**Fire**/**Water Magic** - These are three different disciplines of Western magic in the MSN universe. As their names imply, the users of said disciplines can harness the power of shadows/fire/water and use them to their aid. While Shadow and Fire Magic are primarily classified as offensive disciplines, Water Magic is primarily a support/defensive discipline.

In Lycan/werewolf culture, the **Alpha** is the head of the pack and governs over the area that the pack resides in.

Two fictitous packs make their appearance in this chapter. The **Cherokee Pact** is a clandestine group of various packs that reside in several Native American reservations in the United States. The **Parisian Pack**, as the name implies, is based ouf the greater Paris metropolis in France.


	22. Return of the Count

**Noah Thomson** - Any review is appreciated, and yours is the first this story has had in a while. However, I must bring up one counter argument to your observation that Evangeline is out-of-character: the Alternate Universe tag in the description of the story. If we had been co-writing this as a prime universe story, then yes, she'd be severely OOC. However, as this is AU, we can adjust the character to better fit how things have come to pass. Either way, we truly do appreciate your review and are glad that you enjoy the story thus far.

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any rights to Negima! Magister Negi Magi. All rights belong to Ken Akamatsu and the respective publishers. Horacio Valdez de la Cuesta, Elena Vasquez, Josiah Greenwood, and Thera Mikas are property of the author. Reinhart von Luitpolding is property of Ghost Writer Orange-kun.

* * *

><p>XIX. The Return of the Count<p>

"But... how?"

The gentleman gazed gently upon the red-headed vampire.

"I know it is hard for you to believe, but perhaps this would put your soul and the others here at ease."

Turning his right shoulder to the assembled, he bared it for all to see. Any doubt of the vampire's identity were instantly quashed upon the sight of the all too familiar coat-of-arms of Transylvania with the slogan _Fidelis ad mortem_ tattooed upon his shoulder. All vampires not in the company of the man, except for Nodoka and Chachamaru, immediately fell to their knees and cried out in unison, "Hail Dracula, Great Count and Father-King!"

Vlad II Dracul was every bit as elegant as those who had met him or seen him remembered him. Though his pointed moustache and beard had been unkempt after years on the run, he had taken the time to groom after encountering Elena and Josiah. Gone were the tattered robes and tunic he had worn in ages past. Now he was adorned with an elegant suit reminiscent of the Victorian Era. A small cape of black cloth lined with maroon silk adorned his back whilst a pair of spectacles sat perched upon his nose. Wordlessly, he gestured for his kin to rise.

Asuna suddenly found herself afflicted with another violent dizzy spell. Without making a sound, she exited the living room and leaned against a wall, another vision assaulting her senses, just like every other time she suffered one of these.

* * *

><p>"<em>And what news do you bring from the North?"<em>

_A young man with white hair and piercing grey eyes bowed slightly at the young lady before responding to her inquiry._

"_Milady, there is word of an infant member of our noble bloodline rising to great distinction. Word has it that he is a member of the Drăculești family out of Wallachia."_

"_The principality that rebelled against Hungary? How interesting that a nobleman from a line of rebels is gaining such tract. What else can you tell me about him? I'm especially curious as to how he was turned, seeing as that most of our blood are established here in Athens."_

"_Our confidant has revealed that this noble, through some great feat of magic or devilry, had acquired the last of the Creator-Goddess' blood located in Thessaloniki. It is unknown as to how he located it, but we now have someone who may very well challenge our authority."_

_The redheaded woman leaned back in her throne. Putting a hand to her forehead, she sighed deeply._

"_I trust your word Fate. After all, you've never doubted my power nor my right to rule since we passed the trial and were deemed worthy of entering the blood of Lamia. If this infant gains more power and truly does pose a threat, we will go to him and demand his subordination and allegiance to us. Should he choose not to listen, then we must prepare ourselves for war."_

* * *

><p>Asuna shook her head violently. Her mind seemed to open as a flood of knowledge and memories she never knew poured through her. The sensation seemed empowering – almost intoxicating – and it frightened her. Quickly entering the lavatory nearby, she splashed some cold water on her face to calm her nerves. The sensation of the water felt different. Everything almost felt different. Her senses were heightened further than what Reinhart's blood pact had provided.<p>

A nagging, morbid curiosity got the better of her as she lowered part of her shirt in an attempt to examine her left shoulder. She noticed a marking she never had before appeared on it. Pulling her shirt back up, she began to inhale and exhale deeply in an attempt to calm her nerves.

_This is all a dream. It has to be_.

Once she had calmed herself enough, she slipped out of the lavatory and re-entered the living room just as the Count finished a speech he was making to his brethren.

"While this is a most joyous occasion to see our bloodline is still fairly strong, we should move ourselves to a more quiet location. Your residence is most hospitable, _Maga Nosferatu_, but it is tempting to draw some unwanted attention. Is there any other suitable locale that we might convene and discuss happenings that have transpired in my absence?"

The noble vampire scanned the room briefly, his gaze falling on Asuna for a quick second. The vampire hunter felt as though the legendary figure was gazing into, if not through, her soul. If her blood could freeze cold, it would have done so. The sensation was short-lived as Nodoka took the opportunity to speak.

"Excuse me, Dracula-sama."

Turning to the purple-haired librarian, the Count gazed upon her and inquired, "What is your name, child?"

Bowing deeply, Nodoka shook slightly as she responded, "I am Miyazaki Nodoka, age fourteen, and a new fledgling to the Shinso race."

The Count approached her and put his hand under her chin in almost fatherly gesture. Turning her gaze up towards him, he spoke in saying, "Do not be afraid, Miyazaki Nodoka. I shall neither bite nor bring harm upon you, though I suppose the former is incorrect."

Feeling comforted by the vampire's demeanor, she continued in saying, "There are rumors that a magically displaced environment sits well beneath the academy's library. When I was mortal, I was part of a club that explored some of its lower basements and catalogued many books that I found. One of them made note of that environment."

The Count turned to his Imperatrix.

"Have you heard of this environment before, Anya?"

"Nay," Anya replied, "but there is more to this place than meets the eye. It seems that during the closing century of the feudal era in this country, magi flocked here to protect many of their tomes. The library that Ms. Miyazaki speaks of is on an island in the center of the academy grounds."

"Then let us not tarry any further and hasten to this place." Turning to Thera, he bowed slightly and said in an apologetic tone, "Perhaps we can meet later, Alpha Mikas, and discuss the issue at hand. I wish to reacquaint myself with my brethren and discuss many things with them."

The Lycan nodded her head slightly before standing.

"I understand, Count. You know where you can find me."

Elena turned toward the door, calling back, "We'll keep in touch, old friend. Until then, may the night guide you."

"Likewise to you, Elena."

Asuna stood as to make her exit but was stopped by Reinhart. He scanned her up and down, noting the pallor in her skin. After his brief analysis, he inquired, "Are you feeling fine?"

"I'm quite all right, thank you," she replied.

The vampire sensed the slight fib, but shrugged with feigned indifference.

"If you say so. However, seeing as we have sworn fraternity to each other, perhaps you should 'tag along' as they say nowadays, unless my liege has any objections."

"I think I'll pass," the vampire hunter started to say before the great Count replied, "I have no problem with Lady Entheofushia playing party to us. In fact, I'd be delighted to have her company seeing as we now appear to have an ally within the magical and vampire hunter communities."

Seeing as she really had no option, Asuna bowed in gratitude of the invitation and said, "Very well."

* * *

><p><em>Several Minutes Later<em>

"How far does this library go down, Nodoka-san?"

The librarian turned back toward her sire, a rare smile creeping onto her features as she watched his face light up in awe.

"No one knows for sure," she responded. "Yue, Haruna, and I made our way down to the eighth basement earlier today, but most of us in the Library Expedition Club are certain there are more than that in this place."

The party of nine individuals continued their descent into the depths of the giant library. Another hour or so had passed with no change in their surroundings. Negi could only continue to admire the amount of tomes and various manuscripts that continued to adorn the countless bookshelves and walls that surrounded them. It was about this time that Anya held her hand aloft, a soft glow enveloping it as she attempted to detect the amount of magical energy flowing throughout the structure.

"It seems the rumors might be true after all," she mused. "The further down we go, the higher the concentration of magic."

"How much farther down do you think this place goes?" Horacio inquired, "It seems we've been traveling for a good 700 meters."

"I'd say that we've another fifty meters – give or take a few – before we reach the source."

"Everyone keep your defenses raised," the Count ordered. "There's no telling what dangers or spectacles this place holds in its depths."

No sooner had he said this than a deep roar came from the depths of the cavernous shaft. The elder vampire looked at his entourage and mused, "It has been long since the world has heard such a manner of beast make such a din. 'Twould seem the rumors of their existence was true after all."

"Milord," Reinhart began, "are you suggesting that the beast we heard was..."

"A dragon? Yes, Baron von Luitpolding. Perhaps you'll remember that I was a member of the _Societas Draconistarum_ in my mortal days. The Order may have been named for what many believed to be legendary creatures, but when magic was still but a young concept, dragons were chronicled by the early mages to have roamed the earth. It seems that such an ancient being of immense power guards these caverns."

"But is it a dragon of the West or a dragon of the East?" Negi inquired, his mind racing with excitement.

Evangeline replied, "If it is a Western dragon, then we may have a fight on our hands. I am well traveled, but I know not of the nature of Eastern dragons."

She turned to Nodoka and Chachamaru.

"Perhaps either of you could care to enlighten us on Eastern dragons and their demeanor."

Chachamaru turned to Nodoka with an apologetic look on her face.

"Forgive me for putting you in the spotlight Nodoka-san, but I'm not as well read as you."

Clearing her throat politely, Nodoka turned to the Count and began to speak.

"In the mythologies of my people and of many Eastern cultures, dragons are serpent-like creatures that usually are aspects of the sea and/or rain. **Ryūjin**, the ruler of the seas, was said to be a dragon. Most dragons of the East are said to be benevolent as they wouldn't attack humans unless provoked*."

Continuing down the stairs, the Vampire king called back, "Then let us proceed and see what awaits us."

Another five minutes had passed before the small party made it to the deepest chamber of the monstrous library. At their backs stood a giant cavern with moss-covered stalactites and stalagmites. A pool of water with an indeterminate depth filled it and extended as far as the eye could see. At their front, a large stone bridge extended toward two massive stone doors, each etched with runes, kanji, and intricate patterns. Anya held her hand aloft again and cast her silent incantation. She shivered violently as the magical energy present coursed through her body.

"There is no doubt about it; this must be place."

The great Count motioned for Anya and Reinhart to join him. Turning his head back, he instructed the rest of the vampires and Asuna, "Wait here. If anything happens to us, return to the surface."

With no further words, the Count and his escorts began to proceed across the bridge. At that moment, another roar emanated as a large serpent-like creature rose from the depths of the pool and coiled around the bridge in an effort to stop the passage of the vampires.

It was truly a magnificent site to behold. With a length that seemed to span well over fifty meters, the scales of the beast were almost golden in color. A set of red fins spanned its back down to the base of its tail. There was nary a horn upon its head, yet it appeared to have a mane of hair cascading from behind where the neck joint would be.

"**Who dares to intrude upon my lair?**" the beast bellowed, glaring down at the three vampires.

"What did it say?" the elder vampire asked Reinhart.

"From what I can understand," the German replied, "she wants to know who we are and what brings us here. Perhaps, with your permission Milord, I can speak on our behalf."

The count gestured for the younger vampire to continue. He turned toward the dragon.

"**Forgive us, noble creature. We are beings much like yourself that are seeking a place for our master to take refuge. He has traveled many years and is weary.**"

"**You are not dragons, and yet you are not quite human, ****save for one of you****. ****Tell me, what manner of creatures are you?**"

"**In the West, my brethren and I are known as vampires: creatures of the night that are known to feast on the blood of mortals ****to sustain our well-being and lives****. This is true for only a fraction of our number. Those of us before you do not require blood for continued sustenance; however, we still require it once ****every few weeks****.**"

The dragon hummed thoughtfully before replying, "**Then you are no different than the kyonsh****ī*****. ****We are not at all dissimilar then.**"

The creature began to uncoil itself from around the bridge and lowered most of itself into the water. Bringing its great, whiskered head toward them, it continued in saying, "**I am the local mizuchi***** of this great lake, charged with defending it for countless aeons. What is your name, and what do you seek?**"

Reinhart bowed at his waist and responded, "**I am Baron Reinhart von Luitpolding from the Bavarian region of Germany. My brethren and I seek shelter for our King, Vlad II Dracul, so that he may resume his post as sovereign of the Vampire race.**"

"**It is my pleasure to grant you residence in my palace. I have no use of it ever since the mortal****s**** built on top of my abode. Feel free to do with it as you see fit.**" And with that, the mizuchi submerged itself wholly into the lake and disappeared from sight and sound.

Turning back the party, the Count motioned for them to cross. Once all were assembled in front of the massive doors, the vampire held his hand aloft and began wordlessly incanting. Before long, the massive doors opened up, allowing the party to gaze into the displaced environment.

"It's beautiful!"

Nodoka's words were sufficient enough to do some justice to the sight before them. At the top of a massive cliff dotted with sakura trees stood a massive castle, it's majesty which could only be compared to that of the famous Himeji Castle. A large waterfall cascaded into a crystal clear lake at the base of the cliff, providing the subterranean lake with more than enough water to last a thousand lifetimes.

Vlad Dracul gestured toward the castle.

"Let us be off then to our new home."

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, the vampires and vampire hunter found themselves in the main chamber of the castle. It's simplicity belied the exterior of the castle. At the far end sat a small throne where the shogun would sit in feudal times. Low tables where the ministers would be seated were placed at either side of the throne. At the front were small mats where the commoners and lower officials would assume seiza and bring their concerns forward. The great Count ultimately took his place at the throne and gestured for Anya and Reinhart to sit at his right and left respectively. Horacio also assumed a seat to the left of Reinhart.<p>

Sensing there was some business in order, the rest of the assembled took their places at the front of the throne and knelt down.

The Count was the first to speak.

"My friends, it warms my heart to see that there are some of us left of this world. Though we are few, we will be able to govern our once proud coven remotely from this place. There are a few things in order though, the first of which is to establish positions within the restructuring of the coven. Anya will continue to remain as Imperatrix. Don de la Cuesta shall retain his position on the Consortium. Baron von Luitpolding, I would like for you to assume the post of Magistrate of the Consortium. In my travels, I've heard much about you and your powers. They would come to be very useful for such a position as the one I offer you this day."

Bowing deeply, Reinhart responded, "It would be an honor to take such a post, my liege."

"So be it. _Maga Nosferatu_, while your powers are immense and of great use, your crimes do not sit well with me. However, as you've been serving for some time now, I shall grant you a position in the Nobility of the Coven. The same shall go with you, young master Negi. You have experienced much in your long life. No longer should you be a commoner amongst our race. I hereby elevate you to the rank of Lord."

"I don't deserve such an honor," Negi insisted.

"But, as your sovereign, it is my decree and wish for you to take that rank."

Seeing as he wasn't going to win, Negi bowed deeply in thanks.

Turning to the remaining two vampires in the audience, the Count inquired of Chachamaru, "Young lady, what is your name?"

"Karakuri Chachamaru, age fifteen," she replied. "I was turned by Evangeline out of pity five years ago."

"How, pray tell, did this come to be Lady McDowell?"

"Chachamaru," Evangeline responded hesitantly, "was the victim of a brutal assault and gang rape, Milord."

"No child should ever go through such a disgusting act," the elder vampire responded somberly. "As you, young Chachamaru, and young Nodoka have yet to show any great advances in your abilities, you shall be citizens. Now, the day has grown late, and most of you have work to attend to in the morning. If you wish to do so, feel free to move your belongings here and remain in the castle."

Bowing in response, Negi, Eva, Chachamaru, and Nodoka took their leave of their king and left the castle. Asuna turned to exit the chamber too when the Count called out to her.

"Lady Entheofushia, a moment please. Anya, Don de la Cuesta, Baron von Luitpolding, I would like to talk with our guest in private."

Bowing, the three proceeded to leave the chamber through another door so as to further explore their new base of operations. Once he was sure the three were out of sight and hearing, the vampire turned toward the young woman.

"Come forward, if you'd please."

Asuna took a few tentative steps until she was nearly face-to-face with the man. Never in her life would she dream of being so close to a living legend, let alone the most famous and spoken of vampire in the history of the world. Stories of the man and his prowess had been passed down by her family for many generations. Every day, her training would bring her closer to that which the Belmont clan had achieved many centuries prior. Her years of diligent training, however, could not help her to predict what was to happen next.

Vlad II Dracul suddenly lunged forward and grabbed the young woman by her arm, pulling down the left shoulder of her shirt. The mark he saw confirmed his suspicions. Putting his free hand to the vampire hunter's forehead, he closed his eyes.

_It's been a long time._

Asuna could hear the voice of the vampire in her head. She moved to speak in reply when a sudden bout of lethargy struck her. Her vision went out of focus as unconsciousness took hold of her.

_Likewise, Vlad. It has been far too long_.

_You knew the punishment I inflicted upon you, and yet you openly defied me by being amidst my brethren._

_Do you think I had a choice?_ _Where else could I have gone? I've been cursed to roam this world without my powers for the past four centuries. I remember plenty, but I do not remember all. A hunter from that cursed Belmont family left me for dead some time after I sold you out. The girl before you imprinted herself upon me. I've been trapped in my own body and have lamented over the poor decisions I've made. You should have killed me and spared me this torture._

_I chose not to kill you so that you could be taught a lesson_, Vlad replied. _You obviously failed to do so when you sold out your own kind to those you took sport in killing for most of your existence. Only recently it seems that you've learned, as you have said so yourself. That does not mean I entirely believe you, but I shall give you some benefit of the doubt._

_What of the von Luitpolding boy? Will you tell him?_

_Nay. When all of your memories return to the point that the mortal in you accepts who she is, _you _will tell him who you are. We are finished here. The girl won't remember any of what has been discussed as it seems you remain buried so deep in her subconscious that she can't access it. I pray that when she remembers, she can remain in control._

Asuna suddenly felt herself regain consciousness. Shaking her head violently she looked up at the vampire as he let go of her.

"What did you do to me?"

The Count feigned indifference.

"I apologize. You look like someone that I remembered from a long time ago. You're free to leave to your studies. I look forward to working with you further Lady Entheofushia."

Casting a somewhat incredulous gaze over the man, the vampire hunter turned on her heel and made her way out of the chamber. The vampire's parting words, however, left a chill in the air and her blood running cold.

"Welcome home, _Angelus Lapsus_."

* * *

><p>Author's Notes:<p>

Rather than follow the convention of having Vlad III (Vlad Tepes) being the legendary count, I made the decision to use Vlad II Dracul as the one who eventually became Dracula in this particular telling of _Negima_.

While the notion that most Eastern Dragons were benevolent sea-gods, the same cannot be entirely said for the **mizuchi**. Most of them were fairly malevolent beings that often preyed on travellers and were known to poison water sources if the local villagers angered them enough. As you probably noted, the particular dragon here is not one of them.

**Kyonsh****ī** (based off the jiangshi of Chinese folklore) were reanimated corpses that travelled about by hopping with their arms outstretched and fed off of the life force (Ki/Chi) of their victims. This earned them the nickname of "hopping vampires" and/or "hopping zombies".

As you may have observed already, the displaced environment differs here in this universe versus the canon universe. Rather than a mansion of some degree, I decided to model it after Himeji Castle in the Hyogo Prefecture to give it a more "eastern" feel. Also, it would be more fitting of a place for the local mizuchi to reside.

There will be an appendix attached to the end of the current movement to further outline the head canon in _Dark Waltz_ dictating the hierarchal structure of vampire covens.


End file.
